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The problem is that the provincial funding formula doesn‘t allow the local school board to plan for That would mean a decline in enrolment at Mary Johnston school by at least 120 students by 2008 when the new school opens its doors, and the easing of overcrowding in other schools serving the west side, like Laurelwood and Centennial public schools. The new $9.65 million school will accommodate 600 students from junior kindergarten to Grade 8, and will lead to the school board redrawing the catchâ€" ment areas of existing schools. But staff decided to only fund the construction of two _ new _ elementary schools, including a new school in the Clair Meadows area of Waterloo. Continued from page 1 projected growth, said Waterioo trustee Catherine The provincial funding _ Fife. > was meant to upgrade the And with three new westâ€" physical structure of existâ€" _ side subdivisions ready to ing schools, while providing be built pending final money for new school approval from the Region of building. Waterloo. the school haard School board attempts to address overcrowding issues infoymaton MlllaterIoo City Hall e aâ€" SX n . P f f ’.;; ; \\ P /,,~/ -’» xd . k Q )gl} Ai"”\, f S ___"3 es Lofi cfidineradiniedtmatey . | Open House View the preliminary concepts and share your comments Main Floor 100 Regina Street South, Waterloo WZ:“!“! | nesday December 13, 2006 4:00 to 8: That initiative on class sizes has put stress on existâ€" ing schoois. The board has also had to adjust to provincial initiaâ€" tives, like the adoption of junior kindergarten, which has added programming to existing schools. "We‘ve been planning for it, but we just don‘t have the flexibility around funding to do everything we want to do in the time frame we want to do it in." THE CITY OF ,g_' o Waterloo And with three new westâ€" side subdivisions ready to be built pending final approval from the Region of Waterioo, the school board will probably need to build a new junior kindergarten. to Grade 6 school to handle all the demand. "We are constantly playâ€" ing catchâ€"up â€" around growth," said Fife, who recently won reâ€"election. "The funding for capital needs is constantly changâ€" ing, so we‘re working with Chris Smith, the managâ€" Uptown Waterloo Public Square Design Fife, of course, underâ€" stands the concerns of the parents of Mary Johnston "And we have been sucâ€" cessful using portables to see us through those high growth periods of time," said Fife. In the meantime, portaâ€" bles will be the answer at a lot of schools until the enrolment drops as is preâ€" dicted over the next decade. Smith said the new school in Clair Meadows will also feature those types of childâ€"care facilities, which should be welcome news for parents in those surrounding neighbourâ€" hoods. School boards are doing a much better job of that in their new school designs, like the recently opened Abraham Erb public school, which also includes dayâ€" care facilities integrated into the structure, he added. er of planning at the public board, said the design of schools like Mary Johnston can‘t meet the modern requirements â€" of" the expanded education sysâ€" tem. flf further information visit: www.city.waterlo0.on.ca/square or contact Anna lee Gunn at AGunn@city.waterlo0.on.ca or 519â€"747â€"8790 There will still be some obstacles to deal with caused by possible conâ€" "In the next two weeks we‘re going to sit down with them and hopefully we‘ll have some options for them to look at." "To be fair to the Mary Johnston _ community, they‘ve done a wonderful job of communicating with us and sharing their conâ€" cerns," said Fife. Fife still thinks someâ€" thing can be done by 2008, and she favours an option that includes adding a new gymnasium to the school. students and their desire to see a new addmdfi-lgils: yesâ€" terday instead of perhaps in "We‘re constantly playing catchâ€"up around growth." Lester B. Pearson school is the biggest elementary Smith said the school board is also working on the overcrowding issue at Lester B. Pearson public school in the Eastbridge area. "But as long as we have all the options laid out for the community, the comâ€" munity can give us some information, and then it will likely come forward as a recommendation â€" from staff." But Fife hopes a commuâ€" nity consultation process will address the issues that crop up. "We‘re never going to make everyone happy," she said. The redrawing of school boundaries will also draw some heat from parents. struction and the temporary dislocation of students. We‘ll bring your store to over 32,000 doors WarenLoo‘s Own Community Newspapen 886â€"2830 WATERLOGO CHRONICLE www.city.waterloo.on.ca City of Waterloo 100 Regina St. South Waterloo, Ontario N2J 4A8 P 519â€"886â€"1550 F 519â€"747â€"8760 For more information, please contact. That will eventually take Lester B. Pearson‘s school population down to a more manageable 600 students, and eliminate some of the portables they currently use, he said. The two parties areZ working on a compromise.S Smith said, and when comâ€"2 pleted the school board is3 planning to build a newZ 400â€"student elememarya school near RIM Park. Smith said plans are? being held up by negotiaâ€"3 tions between the developer £ of some of the remaining} eastâ€"side lands, Activa, andg the City of Waterloo over the designation of those propâ€" $ erties. â€" school in the board with just & under 1,000 students from& junior kindergarten tog Grade 8. Â¥