Board decides to keep four schools open

Nora Chippett had a nervewracking Saturday afternoon.

“A lot of people said we never had a prayer, but we did it,” she said after the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (NLESD) meeting that decided the fate of Leading Tickles Primary School and four others in the province. “We may be small in number, but we did it.”

Chippett and other parents had pleaded their case to several board of trustees members last month, but the final decision was made at a meeting in St. John’s on Saturday. Schools in Swift Current, Isle aux Morts and Cook’s Harbour will remain open — along with the primary school in Leading Tickles.

The board voted in favour of closing only one school: H.L. Strong Academy in Little Bay Islands, a school that currently has no students and no projected future enrolment. The decision was made unanimously, and H.L Strong Academy will officially close in June. The NLESD estimates the closure will save the province $77,000 annually.

It was also proposed that Our Lady of Mercy Elementary and Appalachia High in St. George’s consolidate. The motion was carried unanimously. The NLESD estimates the consolidation to result in annual savings of $116,000.

“We’re very happy, and it was nerve-wracking, but I can’t say I’m that surprised,” Chippett said. “The feedback we got from the board of trustees members who came out to visit the schools was really positive.”

At the meeting, which was broadcast live on the NLESD website, several board members spoke openly on their concerns about closing some of the schools, stating they would oppose the motion.

They said rezoning and closure would result in longer bus drives, unsafe driving conditions, the mixture of elementary students and high school students, and a loss of sense of community among students.

Chippett had argued the same points in her presentation last month and was pleased and grateful they seemed to have struck a chord.

Still, the process is not over yet. In the case of Leading Tickles Primary, board member Hayward Blake noted that a more comprehensive review of the schools in the area would be needed at some point in the future.

“There are actually four schools that we should be looking at, and not just this particular school, and I think we need a comprehensive plan, moving into the future, for all the schools in the area.”

Chippett said she was glad to hear the situation in the area would be further examined, but that for now, she is relieved the community would keep its school come June.

“I really want to thank the board of trustees,” she said. “This is good for us, but I’m pleased for the other schools as well. This is good for everyone.”