Parents push for new public school in Morinville
As Morinville continues to rapidly grow, parents are demanding the government provide the booming town with a new public school.
More than 600 people have signed a petition launched by supporters of the Morinville Public School, urging education minister Gordon Dirks and Premier Jim Prentice to provide a public junior high school in Morinville.
Morinville, located 35 kilometres north of Edmonton, is home to more than 5,000 people. While there are four Catholic schools in town, there is one public school and it only takes students up to Grade 7. Once they graduate, they have to either transfer to a Catholic school or take a long bus ride to the nearest school out of town.
Leah Elzinga, who grew up in Morinville, said the issue is not whether to have a public or Catholic school in town.
“The fact is Morinville as a whole doesn’t have the educational infrastructure to support its growing community,” Elzinga said.
Prentice announced last month that the government would build 55 new schools. One will be built in Morinville, however, it will be a Catholic elementary school.
“This is Alberta, this is 2014,” said Sarah Hall who is with the parents council at Morinville Public School.
“We shouldn’t have to be researching a town to see if they have public or Catholic education available for our kids.”
This week, Hall will present the case for another public school to government officials who will assess the need in Morinville.
The population of Morinville is now about 9.500, a 40 per cent increase over the past eight years.
