Changes coming to Harbour Landing School to address overcrowding

Regina Public Schools is taking steps to reduce overcrowding at Harbour Landing School.

In January, 980 CJME laid out concerns that families and others raised about the school bursting at the seams.

Harbour Landing School and its neighbour, St. Kateri Tekakwitha School of the Regina Catholic School Division, opened in 2017 at or near their capacity.

The public side was built for 650 students, but last fall, there were about 1,000 students enrolled — and projections are calling for 1,500 by 2027.

Last week, Regina Public Schools administrators held a meeting with the Harbour Landing School Community Council to lay out plans to address the overcrowding issue, including a temporary boundary change.

“While the new Harbour Landing West school is anticipated to be open in 2026, the delay in construction has resulted in the requirement for a temporary boundary change to manage the enrolments until that time,” the school division said in a letter to parents.

“The temporary boundary change would be effective for the upcoming 2023-24 school year and affect approximately 200 students and their families living in the south part of Harbour Landing.”

Students affected by the change would attend Ethel Milliken School — across Lewvan Drive, on Queen Street — until the new Harbour Landing West School opens. The addresses of those to be affected include:

• All units of 4850 Harbour Landing Dr.;
• All units of 5004 James Hill Rd.;
• 4669 to 4889 James Hill Rd.;
• All addresses on Padwick Road, Padwick Avenue, Padwick Crescent, Cornell Gate, Crane Crescent, Beacon Way, Beacon Drive, Beacon Place, Cessna Way, Fairchild Road, Gilbert Crescent and Norseman Crescent.

The plan is to include free bus rides for students to Ethel Milliken School.

Students entering Grade 8 in the 2023-24 school year and their siblings will get the option to stay at Harbour Landing School for the 2023-24 school year, if they so choose. Buses will be provided for one year in these instances.

“If younger siblings of the Grade 8 student choose to stay at Harbour Landing School for the 2023-24 school year, this would only be granted for that year, and then they would transition to Ethel Milliken School for the following school year,” the letter said.

“Students who temporarily move and graduate Grade 8 from Ethel Milliken School will be given the option to attend either Sheldon-Williams Collegiate or Campbell Collegiate.”

Regina Public Schools is planning an open house at Harbour Landing School on Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., when parents, guardians and students can ask questions of administration.

The temporary boundary change is to be presented to Regina Public School’s board on March 21.

Duncan on plan

Education Minister Dustin Duncan said Monday the boundary change isn’t an ideal situation.

“Our hope was that the (new) school would progress a lot quicker than obviously it has, but until you have the land available, you can’t build a school,” he explained.

But Duncan also said the province is working on a memorandum of understanding with the City of Regina on a location for the new school and it’s “essentially complete.” He said design work is also progressing through SaskBuilds.

“We’re hoping to proceed certainly on site preparation (and) utilities hopefully later this year and construction could begin after that,” said Duncan.

The minister said the new school is a priority and has been for several years now.