‘We’re not giving up’
Group trying to save Louisbourg school undeterred by latest setback
If determination and resilience were factors, Louisbourg’s only remaining school would not be closing at the end of July.
“This is not over, we’re not giving up, we’re taking it to the next level — this concept is too good to let die,” said Brett Hanham, a key member of a group in favour of keeping George D. Lewis School open as a P-8 school.
Earlier this week, the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional
School Board informed Hanham’s group, the George D. Lewis Hub School Society, that its last proposal fell outside of the scope of the hub school guidelines.
Nova Scotia’s hub schools model was designed to give schools faced with closure due to low enrolment an option to utilize its facilities by leasing extra space to community groups and other possible partners.
The decision is the latest setback for those trying to save the Louisbourg education centre that was one of 17 Cape Breton-Victoria schools designated for closure following the board’s eight-month school review that wrapped up last April.
At the time, the board passed a motion that gave the community group an opportunity to present a viable hub school proposal, which it did at the end of the 2016 school year.
The board then hired Deloitte Inc. to carry out an external view of the proposal, that the accounting firm subsequently concluded did not adhere to the province’s hub school guidelines established by the government in July 2014.
As a result, the board rejected the proposal at an October meeting. But, once again, during a late November meeting, it did allow Louisbourg’s hub school proponents to revise their plans with new information that the board stipulated “must be supported by solid documentation before it is considered.”
After going back to the drawing board, the group submitted its proposal on Jan. 25, but with that too turned down, it’s now planning to take its fight to the next level, that being the province.
“What we took away from that last meeting is that we’re now going to have to go to the province, and they (school board members) repeatedly said that during the meeting, so we’re going to go to the province and get them to assist,” said Hanham, who added that there appears to be a consensus that the hub school guidelines need revision.
“Even board members have said that the hub school guidelines are not perfect and that work needs to be done and that it was very hard for a group to be successful under them.”
In a written release, the Cape Breton-Victoria board confirmed it had rejected the last proposal and stated it “regretfully advised that pilot project is outside the scope of the hub school guidelines.”
It also recognized the volunteer group for its time and commitment to the students and school community.
Justin Mahon, a parent of two students at the 49-year-old George D. Lewis school, said that while disappointing, the board’s decision to deny the hub school application and to close the facility this summer doesn’t mean the fight is over.
“We’re looking at this as another roadblock — we are going to stay positive, we are going to move forward and we are not going to give up,” said Mahon.
“This is about more than our school — it’s about our community.”
Like many Cape Breton schools, Louisbourg’s George D. Lewis has long been experiencing a decline and as of last year had an enrolment of about 80 students.