Louisbourg school hub idea to be reviewed by consultant

 A decision on whether to convert George D. Lewis School in Louisbourg into a hub school will likely be known sometime in August, says the chair of the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board.

A parents group has floated the idea of turning the building into a hub school since that designation would remove it from the closures list, if the school board accepts the concept.

The Hub School Society has developed a plan that it hopes will attract organizations to rent space in the building, such as the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Cape Breton University, the International Centre for English Academic Preparation, and Parks Canada. By appealing to groups looking for rental space, the hope is it would make the building financially viable.

There would be a separate entrance for the primary to Grade 8 school.

School board chair Lorne Green says a consultant will be hired to review the Hub School Society's business plan and then write a report.

Hub School Society to be part of consultant hiring decision

The process of hiring a consultant will be opened up to a bidding process and include other factors.

"We want the hub committee to be part of the selection process," said Green.

He says the school board will pay for the consultant, but it isn't clear how much the cost will be.

Green says the board will meet with the Hub School Society on June 13 and again as needed to discuss bids from consultants and make a hiring decision.