A new elementary school is being constructed in Stratford. (CBC)The impending introduction of kindergarten into the public school system in P.E.I. is causing a flurry of activity as elementary schools prepare to take in the new students.

Kindergarten classes are currently held mostly in private day centres, but they will be moving to schools in 2010.

A new school is under construction in Stratford behind Glen Stewart Elementary School, an existing building.

The new school — which is not yet named — will house students in Grades 4, 5 and 6, while the younger students will remain at Glen Stewart.

Derek McEwen, the principal of the new school, said Glen Stewart is already at capacity with 700 students and there was no way to squeeze 120 kindergarten students into the existing building.

McEwen said the new building should be complete by the summer.

"I think they're going to be working very quickly to get that done," he said. "My understanding is it's great to be ahead at this stage of the game with the blocking and the rough construction part, because when it gets to the detailed part, that's when things can slow down."

Derek McEwen, the new principal of the as-yet-unnamed school. (CBC)Westwood Primary School in Cornwall is getting an addition built with 11 classrooms to handle up to 150 kindergarten students.

Stewart Darrach, vice-principal of Westwood Primary, said the school was at the point of needing the renovations because they also had too many students.

"With the addition of kindergarten coming in to the school, then we were also able to add on some extra classes that we badly needed for within the school," he said.

Teachers are scheduled to move in to the kindergarten wing at Westwood Primary in July and the new school in Stratford is to be completed by August.

Both projects — which will cost more than $11 million when they are done — are slightly ahead of schedule.