Parents of St. Parents of children attending St.
Matt Holland, father of two, said: “There is a lot disappointment everywhere.”
“The plan called for two years. Then it became two and a quarter years. In June, we learned that the contract had been awarded.” We decided to make some progress. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
These setbacks mean that children will have to be bussed for an extra year across town to a temporary Ecole Beaufort school.
Derek Smith said, “The bus experience is not great for a child under five years old. It isn’t much better for children over five.”
The temporary school was all his son knew when he started pre-primary at SJAM this year. It wasn’t ideal.
We hoped that we would be near the school so we could get him there and back a bit easier. “And, obviously, it’s still another year.”
Buses are used to transport students from SJAM to the temporary school, Ecole Beaufort. The new school in the north end is still under construction. Megan King / Global News
The Ecole Beaufort is an old building that lacks certain amenities, including a gym.
We were hoping that next year [my son] could experience gym class and walk to school. Smith said that he would like to see his son “be a lot closer or at least able to walk” next year.
The story continues below the advertisement. Holland shares this sentiment.
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“I have to give credit to both the teachers and administration. They’ve worked hard to create a community and culture there. It’s a small space. Holland: “I mean, there is no gym.”
Global News received a statement from the Nova Scotia Public Works Department stating that “the project and the industry as a whole are experiencing a lack of skilled trade workers and are facing supply chain issues that are influencing how long it takes to complete construction projects.”
Gary Andrea, spokesperson for the department, says that “with this project, there was a delay when awarding the contracts, and it became necessary to remove unsuitable materials from the construction site as soon as the work began. This added additional time to the schedule.”
Holland has called on the province to improve the temporary location on Walnut Street and ensure that the experience is as fair as possible for the children attending.
Holland asked, “How can we ensure that our children have an equal experience in this school?” Holland asked, “Especially given how long the kids will be at this school.”
The Halifax Regional Centre for Education’s Lindsey Bunin, spokesperson for the HRCE, says that the HRCE understands the disappointment of the communities over the change in timeline.
Bunin stated via email that “we will continue to work with the school leadership to ensure all students have a safe and comfortable environment while we prepare for opening the new site.”
The story continues below the advertisement. N.S. Public Works confirms that the date of substantial completion for the new school was moved from July 20,24 to 2025.