LaVerendrye parents to make their case for school swap
Parents of French immersion students at Ecole LaVerendrye say their children have lost many core programs because of overcrowding and they plan to hold a news conference Wednesday in front of the school to draw attention to the issue.
Ratna Pandey, who has two children at the school, said the students have no art room and will lose their computer room at the French immersion school due to overcrowding.
She said gym access is already restricted because the school is almost a hundred students over capacity.
LaVerendrye parents want to swap schools with Earl Grey School in Crescentwood, which has extra space.
Pandey said the issue has created hard feelings.
"Unfortunately, by the Winnipeg School Division not standing up and showing some leadership, they have created very much an 'us versus them' type of environment and we are actually saddened by this," she said.
She said the event planned for today is meant to ease the tension between parents of children at both schools.
Pandey said the overcrowding has been a problem for years and it's gotten to the point where LaVerendrye, which should house 280 students, now has 360.
"They've done away with pretty much everything and now the last thing on the chopping block is our computer lab. And the kids are frankly, they're nervous. Their lunch hours are staggered. Their recesses are staggered. It's simply just an unacceptable situation," she said.
Pandey believes a swap with Earl Grey School, which has just over 200 students, is the best option.
She and Mark Wasyliw, trustee for both LaVerendrye and Earl Grey School and chair of the Winnipeg School Division Board of Trustees, will be on Information Radio Wednesday at 6:15 a.m. to discuss the issue.
