Classrooms in gyms, libraries on stages: Penetanguishene school 'bursting at the seams'

The search is on for a new home for Burkevale Protestant Separate School in Penetanguishene.

The current building is bursting at the seams with classes held in the gym and teachers grading in the basement.

The school's principal, Julia Mclaren, says the school is experiencing a rise in admissions as increased development continues in the area, with nearly 400 students enrolled.

"We don't have the capacity anymore," Mclaren said. "We have to send students to a different location just to use the gym."

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Space is so limited at the facility that the library was moved to the school stage, the gymnasium doubles as a classroom, and teachers' desks are in the basement.

Mclaren said the situation has prevented increased opportunities to inspire students.

"You can tap into the arts child, you can tap into the athletic child, and I think all of those things are important when you're talking about children, and they need to know what their passions are, they need to know how to express those and right now we're confined," said Mclaren.

In March, the province provided the school $17.1 million to construct a new school. The board had eyes on 51 Dunlop Street in Penetanguishene, but ultimately, that location wasn't feasible after consulting with the town.

"This was a site where there was a school there before and the land all cleared, and it would have been easier for us to move into a site that's been cleared and had been serviced before," explained Tim Overholt, supervisory officer with Protestant Separate School board.

The town is using the site for a planned community hub and said the timeline of 2027 for the board's competition didn't match.

The mayor is adamant that the town will continue to help the board.

"We're going to work with Burkevale - we're going to work with them. We're going to partner with them and continue doing the things that we need to in our plans to start working with them to find other suitable land to meet their needs, and where we can, we will expedite the process," said Penetanguishene Mayor Doug Dawson.

The school board said its focus now is on finding potential locations.

It remains hopeful of finding the right lot to have the school built by 2027.