The French school board is exploring the option of moving its high school students to a wing at the Porter Creek Secondary School this winter, or into another portable next to Ecole Emilie-Tremblay.
Those were the options presented to staff, parents and students at a meeting last night.
Marc Champagne, executive director for the French school board, said the school board isn’t recommending either option. But they’re the only two that meet the criteria set by the school board in terms of educational standards.
“The criteria was it had to be able to be done quickly, and had to have access to a laboratory, gym, and all the specialized rooms that you need to teach high school programs,” he said.
“There aren’t a lot of options.”
The short-term solution is a stopgap until the construction of the new French high school, which could take another two or three years.
Champagne said Yukon’s Department of Education approached the school board about the Porter Creek option.
Representatives from both parties have had a few meetings so far, he said.
Earlier this summer, discussions were had about the possibility of temporarily moving French high school students to the old F.H. Collins school.
Champagne said that wasn’t an option anymore.
Reaction to the options at last night’s meeting was “muted,” he said.
Based on feedback he gets from students, staff and parents, Champagne said he hopes the school board can make a decision by the end of September. Ideally, the students would be moving before the start of the second semester, or the end of January, he said.