Summerside French school expanding

École-sur-Mer, the French-language school in Summerside P.E.I., is planning to add junior high school grades over the next few years.

Currently the school teaches elementary grades only. Starting in 2011, the school will add grade 7.  Grades 8 and 9 will follow in the years after.

The expansion is an effort to keep more Summerside students going to school in French. Only about 20 per cent of students who finish grade 6 at École-sur-Mer will continue their education in French. Those who do have to travel by bus to the nearest French high school, about 25 kilometres to the west in Abram-Village.

There are around 70 students enrolled at École-Sur-Mer, more than double what it was when it opened in 2002. The school board said the junior high grades could boost enrolment by another 40 students.

The province has not yet approved the construction of new classroom space, but the French Language School Board has voted to proceed. The province says money for that construction is not in this year's budget.  Government said it would look at the proposal once the board has a cost estimate.