Overcrowding at Anglophone East schools prompts new grade configurations

New Brunswick's Anglophone East District Education Board voted Thursday night to approve grade configurations for a number of schools to address growing enrolment, with no boundary changes recommended.

District superintendent Randolph MacLean — who had laid out options for the council at its last meeting — underscored that rapid growth by saying an additional 115 students have enrolled just in the last month. 

After fielding emails, phone calls and holding two public consultations, recommendations were brought forward to council, where all motions were passed Thursday. 

The decisions will affect thousands of families in parts of New Brunswick where population growth has been robust, but has also been putting strains on schools, housing and other services. 

The meeting was livestreamed, but the public and journalists were not permitted to attend in person.

The recommendation that sparked the largest conversation, from council members and people tuning into the livestream, involved Riverview-area schools

As of last month, Riverview East, which is currently K-8, was 123 students above capacity. 

Education council chair Harry Doyle, who also represents Riverview East, said a decision involving the area's schools was not made lightly. 

"We have to house all the kids that we have and we have an awful lot more kids coming," said Doyle.

The last meeting saw suggestions of two different boundary changes that would move some students from Riverview East to Hillsborough Elementary and Caledonia Regional High School.

Another suggested scenario was to move Grades 6-8 to Riverview Middle School, which is what was proposed and passed Thursday night.

"We received a lot of conversation about Riverview, a lot of options.… There was some recommendation, an idea, a thought about boundary changing. That is not the case tonight," said MacLean.

"The feedback that we receive each time tweaks how we see the world."

Starting in 2023-24, Riverview East will become a K-5.