For the 2019-2020 school year, School District No. 57 (Prince George) is considering a change in catchment areas that would affect Edgewood Elementary and Spruceland Traditional Elementary.
A report to the district’s education services committee, issued by the catchment and capacity review stakeholder advisory committee, recommended moving Edgewood and Spruceland from the Duchess Park Family of Schools to the D.P. Todd Family of Schools. The education services committee supported the recommendation and it has been accepted by the board.
Grade 7 students leaving Edgewood Elementary and Spruceland Traditional Elementary in June 2020 would attend secondary school at D.P. Todd Secondary instead of Duchess Park Secondary in September 2020.
Public information sessions regarding the recommended change will be held on Tuesday, June 11 at Edgewood and Wednesday, June 12 at Spruceland. Both sessions are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. and end at 8 p.m. Board members will be in attendance to receive feedback.
The change has been recommended as a solution to overpopulation at Duchess Park, a triple-track secondary school that opened in March 2010.
Duchess Park’s current student population – including 44 Franco-Nord graduates – is 1,075. Its capacity, as listed by the Ministry of Education, is 900.
Renovation of D.P. Todd Secondary is on School District No. 57’s five-year capital plan. The Catchment and Capacity Review Stakeholder Advisory Committee advised that further review and discussion be held with the Ministry of Education to determine the feasibility of changing the D.P. Todd five-year capital plan project to an expansion/renovation to incorporate an additional 300 seats. The use of additional portables at D.P. Todd will be considered in the short-term.
Currently, D.P. Todd has 640 students and its capacity, as listed by the Ministry, is 600.
The recommendation to move Edgewood and Spruceland into the D.P. Todd Family of Schools stems from Catchment and Capacity Review Stakeholder Advisory Committee meetings held on Dec. 19, 2018 and Jan. 8, 2019.