Rainbow Park area revealed as site of new K-8 Saint John school

The site of a new kindergarten-to-Grade 8 school for Saint John's central peninsula will be at Rainbow Park, government officials announced Monday.

But the popular south end park, which includes an accessible playground structure, basketball court and splash pad, will remain, according to the mayor and a city councillor.

The new school will be located on the south side of St. James Street, between Charlotte and Sydney streets, said Coun. Gerry Lowe.

The site consists of five houses, which will be demolished, and three pieces of property the province acquired, he said. There are also seven small pieces of property, between the houses and the park, which were given to the province, he said.

"I think this is the right site, and this is the site that the people wanted."

Expected to open in 2026

The school will accommodate about 450 students and replace two aging schools, Prince Charles School on Union Street and St. John the Baptist/King Edward School on St. James Street, which, combined, currently have about 386 students enrolled.

The provincial government will spend more than $2 million in 2023-24 to support the continued planning, design and site preparation for the school, according to a news release from the Department of Education.

The design process will begin in the new year, said department spokesperson Morgan Bell. The planning and design is expected to take a year, she said.

Site preparation will begin in 2024, followed by construction.

"The school is expected to open in the fall of 2026, but this could be subject to change as we move through the processes," Bell said in an emailed statement.

This is a monumental project that will benefit residents for generations to come.- Donna Reardon, mayor

A proposed design for the school, unveiled in 2019, following discussions with members of the community, includes a gym and library that could be used outside school hours, and 5,000 square feet of community programming space, including program rooms, a community kitchen and shared offices.

Mayor Donna Reardon could not immediately say what will become of those conceptual designs, but did say the school will be more than just a building.

"This is a monumental project that will benefit residents for generations to come," she said.

"The whole idea of it is the learning commons, so it will have some wrap-around services [to support families] as well," Reardon said, drawing a comparison to the new Elsipogtog First Nation Community School.

"You have all of the social determinants of health … and social determinants of success, I guess as well, to a certain extent — so education, health, those sorts of things."

Reardon noted pediatrician Dr. Sarah Gander has already relocated her office to nearby Princess Street.

The school will "help revitalize and support one of Saint John's most diverse and fastest-growing neighbourhoods," according to Reardon.

It was named by city council as a "top catalytic infrastructure project to spur growth."

The province rejected the project for several years but set aside funding in the 2022-23 capital budget for land acquisition.

It's been more than 30 years since a new school was built in the south end.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Arlene Dunn, speaking on behalf of Education Minister Bill Hogan, said it's important to invest in schools to ensure students receive the education they need to succeed.

"I very much understand the importance of this project and the positive impact it will have on the city and the students in the area," she said in a statement.