St Pierre library closing during school hours in fall

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This article was published 27/06/2024 (326 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Red River Valley School Division (RRVSD) is planning on limiting access to the Jolys Regional Library in St Pierre to outside École Héritage Immersion school hours starting this fall.

“My feeling is that in St Pierre, because it’s been in that space for so long, there’s this assumption that that is what that space is intended for. But realistically it is school space,” said RRVSD boar Chair Heather Poirier.

“We’ve had a really good agreement with them for a long time but at the end of the day we have to think about our priority, it’s always going to be K to 12 education.”

She pointed out that the Jolys library is the only one that is in a school space and open during school hours. It is currently open every day during the day except Sundays.

Poirier gave the other RRVSD example of the RM of Ritchot library in the Ste Agathe School, which is only open on evenings and occasionally during the day in summer.

“Which makes sense because you have public accessing a space where you have students there during the day,” said Poirier.

“It’s not really safe to have that as an option anymore. That’s why no other school has it, because it actually makes no sense to have the outside doors open to the public when we have our kids in class.”

She added that the growth in St. Pierre with new apartments on the way is another consideration when figuring out school space.

“We have to accommodate spaces for all these kids. So we’re looking long-term at that space and we know we are going to be in a space crunch. We’re pretty tight all around that building already,” said Poirier.

She explained that there are now 360 kids at École Héritage Immersion. The division has already moved out administrative space that used to be housed there and added portables.

Poirier was not sure St Pierre is at the top of the Province’s list for new school space.

“The reality is when you ask for portables or expansion, they ask you are you using every available square foot to educate students. Having let’s say an empty classroom or small group work, well that needs to be taken over by a classroom.

“You have a big giant library, maybe part of that gets converted to classrooms or all of it gets converted to classrooms,” said Poirier.

She said the agreement to house a library at the school is revisited at the end of every school year as the board plans for the fall.

The councils of St Pierre and De Salaberry sent representatives after being invited by RRVSD to the June 12 school board meeting in Morris.

St Pierre was represented by Mayor Raymond Maynard, deputy mayor Michel Forest, Coun. Suzanne Jolicoeur, and CAO Tina Bubenzer.

Mayor Maynard said this was the second recent meeting with the school board.

“The first meeting was us that asked for it. And that meeting was to let them know that, population growth, just to give them an idea of how much we’re growing,” said Maynard.

He said he hoped it helped the division with its long-term planning for space, possibly to ask the province for an addition or another school in St Pierre.

The library board is made up of the librarian, currently on leave, and two representatives from each the RM of De Salaberry and the Village of St-Pierre-Jolys.

Each municipality appoints one citizen representative and one councillor to the board. St Pierre’s Coun. Jolicoeur is their representative.

Maynard said when it comes to any library issues, the council as a whole tries let the board handle them.

“To the board we’re as hands-off as we can,” explained Maynard. “They do what they want.”

RRVSD is looking to have De Salaberry and St Pierre sign the MOU on the new library hours before communicating further with the board.

The mayor does acknowledge with growth comes the need for more school and library space.

“Just because of how the school has grown, I think we will in the future. We have to start thinking about it, for sure,” said Maynard.

De Salaberry also has been asking the board to solve the issue of having no library space in St. Malo after RRVSD decided to use space for a daycare in its addition rather than a library.

De Salaberry cut its funding to match St Pierre’s rather than pay per capita until the board solves the St Malo space issue.

St Pierre increased its funding in this year’s budget. Maynard said he understood De Salaberry’s position.

“Oh yeah. I mean think about it, why would they pay for something that they don’t have,” said Maynard.

Access to a library is of community importance, added the mayor.

“The importance of the library to the village is that all of our residents have access. Even though they won’t have access during school hours, at least they still have some access. The most important part is the library is for the kids. I mean, let’s face it, that’s where kids get their knowledge, right?” said Maynard.

The Rm of De Salaberry, Village of St-Pierre-Jolys, and RRVSD have good working relationships stressed Poirier. She gave the example of the new expansion in St Malo opening and user agreements allowing anyone to book space in that school.

There has been an issue with some library proponents being aggressive towards school division administration, though, according to Poirier and superintendent Brad Curtis.

RRVSD sent a letter to the RM and Village stating the school division will only be communicating directly with the municipalities until the MOU on library hours is signed.