Hub school decision delayed
School board gives Louisbourg society until the end of the month to finalize proposal
A final decision on a proposed hub school in Louisbourg has been delayed by at least a few weeks by the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board.
Last month, the board indicated it hoped to make a final decision by the end of September, but board chair Lorne Green said following Monday night’s monthly board meeting that is no longer possible.
Green explained that the George D. Lewis Hub School Society has asked the board some additional questions and sought clarification on several points before their proposal is considered final and a final decision is made. The board agreed to give them until Sept. 30 — this Friday — to get those answers and make any necessary clarifications to their proposal.
“In essence, it’s sort of an extension for them,” he said. “So we’re hoping that they have something that they want to add so that we can clarify things because at the end of the day when we finally make the decision whether it goes or doesn’t go, I have to be able to defend the board’s decision and the way it sits now it’s difficult because they’re saying that there’s some questions and concerns that haven’t been addressed.”
Green said it’s important that any confusion be cleared up before a final decision is made on the hub school, which if approved, would be the first in Nova Scotia.
“They initially asked for an extension to January which wasn’t reasonable but the board is understanding,” he said. “Nobody has ever done this so it’s new to everybody — the department (of education), us, the community — so we want to make sure everything is very clear for them.”
No date for a final decision has been determined but Green said their intention is to have the final vote during a regular monthly meeting of the board. The next such meeting is Oct. 24.
“The decision won’t be made in isolation. The board will obviously consult with the community and hopefully at the end of the day whatever the decision is, both sides agree on the decision,” said Green.
The hub school society submitted its original hub school proposal to the board June 1. An independent consultant, Deloitte, was later hired by the school board to evaluate the proposal and the delivery of their final report has also been delayed by the additional time provided to the society.
George D. Lewis School was one of 17 schools the board voted to close earlier this year. However, the board also passed a motion that the hub school proposal be considered before a final decision on the school’s future is made.