EMSB Plans to Open New Français Plus School in NDG

With West End elementary schools bursting at the seams in terms of enrolment, the English Montreal School Board plans to open a brand new Français Plus primary school at 4850 Coronation Avenue in NDG for the 2019-20 academic year.

The specific over-crowding of immersion schools in this area extends to Edinburgh in Montreal West, Merton in Côte Saint-Luc and Willingdon in NDG. In order to accommodate the new school, the EMSB Long Range Planning Committee is recommending that two alternative high schools – Focus and Outreach – have their population relocate to the James Lyng High School facility in St. Henri. The latter presently has a lease with Centennial College, which concludes on June 30, 2019.

Plans call for this first Français Plus immersion program to operate from Kindergarten to Grade 4 (instead of from Kindergarten to Grade 2) and 50 percent- English and French in Grades 5 and 6.

The reality is that some parents of children who have eligibility for English instruction have chosen French schools. A new Français Plus School program may be attractive to those families. In cases where some parents who might have otherwise have chosen Edinburgh (capacity 127 percent), Merton (capacity 107 percent) and Willingdon (capacity 90 percent), the new Français Plus School would represent a viable option and it could alleviate some of the over-crowding at those schools.

The EMSB believes that this will also be a bonus for the Focus and Outreach students. At   James Lyng they would have their own private wing  and  be able to avail themselves to additional amenities like a full sized gym, a modern weight room, a t-shirt making/printing center,  a full library, a cafeteria,  two labs and a Work-Oriented Training Pathway (WOTP).

The proposal to create the new school and relocate Focus and Outreach will now go out for consultation to the governing board of Edinburgh, Merton, Willingdon and James Lyng High School, the Principal of Focus High   and Outreach High Schools, the EMSB Parents’ Committee, Central Management Advisory Committee (CMAC), Montreal Teachers Association (MTA), Syndicat des professionnelles et professionnels du milieu de l'éducation de Montréal (SPPMEM), Association Professionnelle Du Personnel Administratif (APPA), Quebec Federation of Labour (QFL) and the Association of Montreal School Administrators (AMSA).

Those consulted will be invited to reply to the Council of Commissioners, giving their feedback by Tuesday, January 8, 2019. The results of this consultation will be brought back to a special board meeting to be scheduled in early January 2019.