Three Oaks Family of Schools Study

The Public Schools Branch commissioned a review of all 56 schools in 2024, with the primary purpose being an assessment of school capacity as compared to school enrolment. In the Three Oaks Family of Schools, there were a number of challenges identified with respect to sufficient space being available to accommodate both the total number of classrooms needed in each school and the spaces required to provide student support on an individual or small group basis.

There was also a recognition of the potential impact on schools as a result of the significant residential construction underway or planned for the City of Summerside and the surrounding areas that are served by the TOSH Family of Schools.

Findings - The Schools

Athena Consolidated School: with a September 2024 enrolment of 322 students, the school currently occupies all available classrooms and, to provide individual or small group learning, utilizes all designated spaces as well as having retrofitted a number of additional areas.

Elm Street Elementary School: with a September 2024 enrolment of 378 students, the school currently occupies all available classrooms and, to provide individual or small group learning, utilizes all designated spaces as well as having retrofitted a number of additional areas previously used for other purposes. Even with an additional on-site classroom being added this year, it continues to need more space.

Greenfield Elementary School: with a September 2024 enrolment of 378 students, the school currently occupies all available classrooms and, to provide individual or small group learning, utilizes all designated spaces as well as having retrofitted a number of additional areas.

Miscouche Consolidated School: with a September 2024 enrolment of 238 students, the school currently occupies all available classrooms (including spaces added in a recent expansion that added four classrooms, music room, technical education area and resource room). To provide individual or small group learning, the school currently utilizes all designated spaces, including the new resource room and former music room.

Parkside Elementary School: with a September 2024 enrolment of 327 students, Parkside is currently using all available classrooms for instruction or other school needs (such as areas for student support, itinerant teachers, school visitors, administration, and staff). The basement has areas used for music, student washrooms, small individual student support areas, a student foods program and storage. This heritage designated building, dating back to 1873, continues to experience significant maintenance issues with rising regularity, even after some much needed improvements in more recent years.

Summerside Intermediate School: with a September 2024 enrolment of 501 students, SIS is currently using all available classrooms to serve its student population and has maximized other areas to support the needs of individual and small groups of students.

Three Oaks Senior High School: with a September 2024 enrolment of 848 students, the school has sufficient classrooms and student support areas to accommodate its current population, and has a few areas that could be used to support future growth. The recent renovations have created a modern, state-of-the-art facility which offers students a full range of programs and activities in a learning environment appropriate to students both today and tomorrow.

In summary, there are four schools – Athena, Elm Street, Greenfield and Summerside Intermediate – which have been identified as having significant space limitations.

Findings - Residential Development

Based on current and projects already underway, the City of Summerside is on track to have over 1,000 additional residential units completed for occupancy within the next 5 years. Using Statistics Canada data from 2021 (last official census), approximately 40% of P.E.I. residences are occupied by families with an average number of 1.4 children per household. Using these numbers and applying them to the 1,000 units would mean an additional 560 children within the City of Summerside. This additional enrollment would result in severe strain on our current facilities. The residential developments currently underway are predominantly in the catchment areas for Athena, Elm Street and Greenfield, suggesting these three schools, as well as Summerside Intermediate, will face the greatest pressure.

Your Input

The Public Schools Branch is requesting input on the topic that pertains to the following guiding questions, with suggestions to address space challenges.

1. Is it appropriate to add temporary or permanent classrooms and other teaching/support areas to each of these existing schools?
2. Is it time to think about one or more new schools at the elementary or intermediate level?
3. Should our school zones be examined to reduce some of the distances students travel to attend their designated schools?
4. Provide any other ideas or suggestions.

How To Respond

1. Provide written comments or suggestions by email to psb-schoolreview@edu.pe.ca. Please ensure to add "TOSH Family School Study" to the subject line of your email.
2. Written responses can be mailed to the Public Schools Branch, Attn: Acting Assistant Director Dominique Lecours, P.O. Box 8600, Charlottetown, PE C1A 8V7 or left at the PSB Offices located at 2-234 Shakespeare Dr, Stratford, PEI (located next to Stratford Town Hall).

Please provide your response by April 13, 2025.

Next Steps

Following the initial receipt of comments and suggestions, a formal report will be made to the Public Schools Branch Board of Trustees with specific recommendations. The study report will be released to the public for further consultation, including a public meeting on May 8, 2025, at 7pm in the Three Oaks Senior High cafeteria.