Bayside, North Hastings high schools to become Grades 7 to 12

Trustees and administrators at Thursday’s meeting of the Hastings-Prince Edward District Board of Education. Photo by Mariia Khanenko, QNet News

By Mariia Khanenko

BELLEVILLE – Two local high schools will officially become Grades 7 to 12 schools this September, the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board decided Thursday night.

The schools are Bayside Secondary in Quinte West and North Hastings in Bancroft.

At Bayside, the decision simply formalizes a setup that has already been in place for at least 25 years. Grades 7 and 8 students from Bayside Public have been attending classes at Bayside Secondary because of overcrowding at the elementary school. Thursday’s vote means the administration of Bayside Secondary takes responsibility for the younger students.

North Hastings in Bancroft will take students from York River Public School, also in Bancroft. As with Bayside, the cause there is overcrowding at the elementary school. However, there is also excess space at the Bancroft high school.

The Grade 7-to-12 model is similar to changes made at Centennial Secondary School in Belleville and Trenton High School. Both those high schools now have students from Grades 7 and 8.

Amelie Grudzinski, a Grade 11 student at Bayside High School, told QNet News after the meeting that she’s not in favour of the change.

“I think Bayside is overpopulated already. They have to separate our cafeteria lunchtime from Grade 9 to 10, and Grade 11 and Grade 12. From experience walking down these halls, it is very frustrating by getting cluttered by those people, and I think adding Grade 7 and 8s will only make it worse,” she said.