Housing starts in St. Clair, PW, Petrolia put pressure on already full public schools
The moratorium of school closures will not be lifted any time soon but it may be time for the Lambton Kent District School Board to consider school boundaries.
Director of Education John Howitt has said frequently it does not appear that the Ontario government of Premier Doug Ford was any closer to lifting the moratorium. But April 9, he hinted a school boundary review could be a possibility. That would come after the pupil accommodation report is presented to trustees June 13.
When The Independent emailed Howitt about a possible school boundary review, Howitt downplayed the idea.
“We are not currently going through any process to readjust school boundaries,” said Howitt by email. “Trustees may determine to start boundary reviews to address areas of the board where we are approaching or are beyond capacity” based on recommendations from the pending pupil accommodations review.
According to the most current pupil accommodation report released to the board December 2022 and based on the October 2022 enrolment numbers, there are three elementary within this newspaper’s coverage area which were above capacity, Errol Village Public School which has a capacity of 190 students, had 253 students in class.
Another school, which is currently above capacity is Sir. John Moore Public School in Corunna, which had 494 students, yet a capacity of 472 students.
The third is Plympton-Wyoming Public School with an enrolment of 261 students and a capacity of 257 students.
In each of those communities, there has been major housing projects either in development or in the works which are crowding the schools.
In Wyoming, during a recent planning meeting for a new subdivision off Broadway Street, in her report to council Planner Patti Richardson suggested the development could mean portables at the Wyoming public school.
“The school is already facing accommodation issues and is currently operating above capacity. Interim accommodation measures such as portables or a holding area may be required to accommodate the projected students resulting from the proposed development,” Richardson wrote.
While the public board plans a five-room expansion to Errol Village School, only two will be classrooms.
Hundreds of homes are in the process of being built now in the area and Monday, Plympton-Wyoming council will hear of another 300 lot development about a kilometre away from the school.
Petrolia’s main public school, Queen Elizabeth II, hasn’t reached capacity yet – it was built for 397 students and in 2022 had 345 students. And the board’s projections put the school population around 345 for a number of years.
That’s despite the fact the Town of Petrolia has up to six developers making plans for housing in the area.
Recently the town approved a zoning change which would allow a subdivision off Discovery Line, which could see 147 homes constructed.
There are also 24 townhouses planned for a 2.8 acre piece of land on Eureka Street.
And on the east side of town, another subdivision recently came to council for zoning changes to allow 116 single family homes and upwards of 70 town homes near First Street.
While Petrolia’s public school might not be able to take the influx of students, nearby Lambton Centennial School – built for 331 students with a population of just 214 in 2022 – might take up some of the slack.
All this growth is without the $245 million Crown Royal distillery planned in St. Clair Township, will not only bring jobs but more housing, impact enrolment numbers.
Mooretown-Courtright Public School - with just 106 students in a school built for 256 - may ease some of that pupil pressure, should the board decide to change school boundaries.
, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent
