Devonshire Reconfiguration Virtual Meeting Presentation and FAQ

Recently the Board of Trustees announced a plan to reconfigure the catchment boundaries of Bernie Wolfe School and Joseph Teres School. Students will be relocated to either Westview School, Maple Leaf School, or École Sun Valley School for the 2025–26 school year, and, for some, to Chief Peguis Middle School for the 2026–27 school year.  

The Board of Trustees has done its due diligence in relentlessly advocating for the construction of new schools in River East Transcona School Division. We are hopeful that our increasing needs have been recognized, and that the government will announce that a new Grades K-8 school will be built in the Devonshire area in the very near future. Even with that pending, a new school will take time to plan and build. Our current needs require immediate action for the fall of 2025. 

Both Bernie Wolfe and Joseph Teres are at or exceeding enrolment capacity, and these communities are expected to continue growing for some time. We need to make changes now to reduce pressure on both schools for the next few years. Fortunately, our short-term plans to reconfigure boundaries will support us in alleviating immediate enrolment pressures. 

A virtual parent evening was held on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, to provide a broad overview of the rationale and changes. The presentation and FAQs can be viewed below.

If you have any questions, please speak with your school principal or email communications@retsd.mb.ca.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 STUDENT SUCCESS

• Can parents request that their children be placed in the same class as other kids who will be moving, so they’ll have a chance to support each other?

  Decisions on class placements are made by school administrators with input from teachers. Teams from the two schools will share information to support the transition. Classes are organized to maximize learning. Many factors are considered, including student abilities, friendships, class size, and students new to the school.

• What plans are in place to aid students through the transition? Will there be an early introduction to the school and staff?

  During the remainder of the 2024–25 school year, school administrators will work together to ensure families have a smooth transition to school. This transition may include invitations to parent council meetings, special events, spring open houses, and other opportunities to connect. This is not the first reconfiguration that has taken place in RETSD. We’ll use our past experiences to inform the transition activities and strategies of this reconfiguration.

• How will you support kids who must move to a new school, get used to new students, and adjust to new teachers?

  There will be ample support for those who will be changing schools, both before and after the move. RETSD staff want the best for all students and will assist any who may be having a hard time. We also encourage parents to let your child’s teacher know if they’re experiencing difficulties, so the school can assist as soon as possible.

• Will additional resources be available for students at their new school to help them with any mental health challenges resulting from the transition?

  The resources at the receiving schools will be the same as the resources offered at all our schools. Personnel from student services will work closely with school administrators and teachers to ensure that additional resources are provided during this reconfiguration period, if needed. Staff in all RETSD schools support students through many difficult transitions in their educational career with us.

SCHOOLS OF CHOICE

• Will Schools of Choice applications be accepted during the time of reconfiguration?

  It’s the division’s practice during reconfigurations to close impacted schools to Schools of Choice. The pause on Schools of Choice ensures we can staff and resource schools quickly and effectively because the programs will better match our projections.

• When will Schools of Choice open again for these six schools?

  There is no set date for when Schools of Choice will be available again, or if it will be available again for these six schools. Whenever a reconfiguration takes place, the division allows at least a few years for enrolment to settle before making any decisions regarding Schools of Choice.

TRANSPORTATION

• Will my child be transported?

  Students impacted and moving to Maple Leaf and to École Sun Valley effective September 2025, will continue to be transported by school bus. Students impacted moving from Maple Leaf to Chief Peguis for middle years effective 2026, will be transported by school bus for Grades 6-8.

• Can the students who are bused be transported from a daycare in the area to their newly designated school?

  According to The Public Schools Act, funding for transportation is based on a student’s residence, not the daycare location. Even if a student qualifies for transportation, the daycare must be on the same route to the designated school.

• Will students taking divisional transportation be supervised once they arrive at school?

  Students will be supervised by designated school staff upon their arrival at school. 

• How long will the bus ride be for students going to either Maple Leaf or Sun Valley as part of the Devonshire reconfiguration?

  We’re actively working with the RETSD transportation department on bus-routing for the impacted students. When information becomes available, we’re committed to sharing this with families. The length of time on the school bus cannot exceed 60 minutes as per legislation.

CAPACITY

• When the new school is built in the Devonshire area, will it be at capacity for opening or have room for future growth?

  We anticipate the new school will be at capacity once it opens. We continue to advocate with the province for additional schools to meet our increasing enrolment in the school division.

• With John W. Gunn also at or exceeding capacity, is there a plan in place to have portable classrooms brought in to accommodate the influx of students prior to the new school being built in the Devonshire area?

  We’ve been working with the province to provide portable classrooms to support the John W. Gunn enrolment increases. Two portables are already present to support the school.

• Is it possible for students impacted by the Devonshire reconfiguration to simply go to a different school in Transcona instead of a school that’s farther away?

  With increased population growth and enrolment pressures in the Transcona area, all our Transcona schools are at, nearing, or exceeding capacity. The school division had to move students to schools where there’s room. 

• What’s the reason for lower school enrolment in some communities in RETSD?

  It’s difficult to explain all the reasons, but the primary reason is that some communities have seen the establishment and expansion of new housing developments while others haven’t.

• How many students will the school division be moving as part of the reconfigurations currently happening?

  Due to an unprecedented increase in student enrolment across the division, RETSD will be moving approximately 500-600 students as part of necessary reconfigurations. This is an approximate number since we don’t yet have enrolment numbers that account for kindergarten students in the fall of 2025.

FUTURE PLANNING

• Would it make more sense to advocate for any new schools in the Transcona area to be K–12 instead of K–8? Would this help with future enrolment pressures for Transcona Collegiate?

  When building new schools, the province only builds either a Grades K–8 or a Grades 9–12 school.

• For students moving to Maple Leaf and Sun Valley due to impacted boundaries, will they return to their local community once the new school is built?

  Once the new school is built, impacted students attending Maple Leaf and Sun Valley will return to their local community to attend the new Grades K–8 school.

• Do school divisions have a say in housing developments in specific communities?

  We don’t have a say in the development of housing in the school division. We’re simply provided information regarding housing developments to support us in future planning efforts. 

• If we’re still unsure of the impacted boundaries and which school our child is to attend for the next school year, who should we contact?

  Any questions can be shared with your current school administration. They’re the best source of information for your individual circumstances. Each school has larger maps for reference. If there’s still confusion, families can contact the Administration Offices at 204.667.7130 or info@retsd.mb.ca to ask about a specific address.

DECISIONS

• How did the school division decide which families and students in the Devonshire area have to be relocated to new schools?

  The decision was made using information on which families reside the farthest from either Bernie Wolfe School or Joseph Teres School and are currently receiving divisional transportation.

• How was it decided which school’s students would be relocated to as part of the Devonshire reconfiguration?

  School enrolments across the division are carefully monitored to determine which schools have room to accommodate additional students. In a time of increasing enrolment, we need to make use of every seat in every classroom, and in every school.