New Waterford school closures should be done simultaneously: committee
Committee recommends moving students to newest elementary school
A school options committee in New Waterford is trying to make school closures easier for children and parents.
The Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board intends to close two elementary schools in the community.
Committee chair Chris Hillier said his group is recommending students from Mount Carmel Elementary and St. Agnes Elementary be moved to Greenfield Elementary.
Hillier said the closures should happen simultaneously "rather than segregate a small group of kids in New Waterford that would be left at one of the two former schools."
The move would almost double the population at Greenfield, putting the number of students at close to 500, so there are safety issues to consider, primarily traffic concerns.
Hillier said Greenfield will need a secondary access road to handle the extra traffic. He also wants a detailed transition plan that would cover busing and help children adjust and prepare for the move.
A meeting Monday night was the first in a series of public meetings on the future of 19 schools in the region.
The board cites a dramatic decline in student enrolment and the resulting excess capacity at many schools as the reasons for the closures.
Final decisions about school closures are expected to be made by the board in April.
Any closures would take place by 2020.