Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct some errors in the original.
Up to seven schools across Newfoundland and Labrador could close following a review of five school systems by the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (NLESD). In a meeting on Dec. 7 the board of trustees of NLESD issued six notices of motion. The board will vote on these motions on March 28, 2020.
Goronwy Price, chair of the board of trustees, said in a release the notices of motion indicate the options being considered in the coming months.
He said while no decisions have been made regarding these school system reviews, the notices of motion give formal notice to the school communities of the option(s) being considered following initial review and consultation.
“Next steps involve further review and analysis and a further consultation with the school communities involved,” Price said. “Where school closures are being considered, a separate public meeting will be held with the school community prior to the March 28, 2020 meeting of the board.”
“Where school closures are being considered, a separate public meeting will be held with the school community prior to the March 28, 2020 meeting of the board.” — Goronwy Price, chair of the NLESD board of trustees
The review by the NLESD focused on five school systems: Stephenville High School and Piccadilly Central High School systems; Dorset Collegiate School System; Glovertown Academy School System; Phoenix Academy and Gill Memorial Academy School System; and Marystown Central High School System.
The schools being considered for closure within those system include: St. Thomas Aquinas in Port au Port, Stephenville Elementary, Charlottetown Primary school in Bonavista Bay, Sandstone Academy in Ladle Cove, and Pearce Junior High in Burin.
If the motions for closure are adopted at the NLEDS board meeting in March, those schools will close in June, 2020.
Brian Peckford Primary in Triton and Green Bay South Academy, part of the Dorset school system, are also included in the review. However, closure of those schools is dependant on the opening of an extension to Dorset Collegiate to accommodate K-6 students from Green Bay South Academy and K-3 students from Brian Peckford Primary, the NLESD noted in the press release.
Here are the detailed changes being proposed within each of the school systems:
Stephenville High School and Piccadilly Central High School Systems
- St. Thomas Aquinas (K-8) will close effective June, 2020.
- Stephenville Elementary (4-5) will close effective June, 2020.
- Stephenville Middle School will be reconfigured from Grades 6-8 to Grades 4-7.
- Stephenville High School will be reconfigured from Grades 9-12 to Grades 8-12.
- All students attending Stephenville Elementary will attend Stephenville Middle School.
Stephenville Primary School student attendance zone will be rezoned to include the current student attendance zone for St. Thomas Aquinas. Stephenville Middle School student attendance zone will be rezoned to include the current student attendance zone for St. Thomas Aquinas. Stephenville High School student attendance zone will be rezoned to include the current student attendance zone for St. Thomas Aquinas.
All students who previously attended St. Thomas Aquinas K-8 and who are currently attending Piccadilly Central High will continue to attend Piccadilly Central High until completion of high school.
The Pathfinder Learning Centre (L.S. Eddy) (10-12) will relocate to the site of the former Stephenville Elementary.
Dorset Collegiate School System
- Conditional upon the opening of an extension to Dorset Collegiate to accommodate K-6 students from Green Bay South Academy (K-6) and Brian Peckford Primary (K-3):
- Dorset Collegiate will be reconfigured from Grades 7-12 to Grades K-12;
- Green Bay South Academy (K-6) and Brian Peckford Primary (K-3) will close;
- The student attendance zone for Dorset Collegiate will be rezoned to include the current student attendance zones for Green Bay South Academy (K-6) and Brian Peckford Primary (K-3).
Glovertown Academy School System
- Charlottetown Primary school, K-3, will close effective June 2020.
- Students attending Charlottetown Primary will attend Glovertown Academy K-12 effective September, 2020.
- The student attendance zone for Glovertown Academy will be rezoned to include the current student attendance zone for Charlottetown Primary.
Phoenix Academy and Gill Memorial Academy School Systems
- Sandstone Academy K-6 will close effective June, 2020 and all students will attend Phoenix Academy K-12 effective September, 2020.
- The student attendance zone for Phoenix Academy will be rezoned to include the current student attendance zone for Sandstone Academy.
Marystown Central High School System
Two motions are being considered for this system, both of which are scheduled to be voted on on March 2020:
Motion #1
- Pearce Junior High, 8-9 will close effective June 2020.
- Marystown Central High will be reconfigured from Grades 10-12 to Grades 8-12.
- Students attending Pearce Junior High will attend Marystown Central High (8-12) effective September, 2020.
Motion #2
- Sacred Heart Academy will be reconfigured from Grades K-7 to Grades K-4.
- Donald C. Jamieson Academy will be reconfigured from Grades K-7 to Grades 5-7.
- Effective September 2020, students will attend the appropriate school in accordance with the new grade configuration.
- Sacred Heart Academy student attendance zone will be rezoned to include the current student attendance zone for Grades K-4 for Donald C. Jamieson Academy.
- Donald C. Jamieson Academy student attendance zone will be rezoned to include the current student attendance zone for Grades 5-7 for Sacred Heart Academy.
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