School Board won't budge on meeting with Barrington Municipality

By Carla Allen

THE COAST GUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

The Tri-County Regional School Board is not budging on its stipulation of where it will address a matter that has turned into a festering wound for the Municipality of Barrington.

The municipality is seeking an explanation as to why the school board has recommended to the Department of Education that Clark’s Harbour Elementary School be the preferred site for a retrofit if it meets all criteria for an alteration/addition project.

The Province of Nova Scotia has designated $3.48 million towards an expansion of the school. Possible closure of the Cape Sable Island elementary school is also being considered by the school board, however a review process will be followed with public consultation before this would take place.

The Municipality of Barrington has not been invited to partake in any of the meetings regarding these developments and wants more information.

It has requested a meeting with school board executives, and also sent letters to the Minister of Education, and the MLA for Shelburne County asking if they support the abovementioned possibilities.

The school board maintains that representatives from Barrington municipal council are welcome to attend their board meetings in Yarmouth. It has also suggested the municipality contact Dr. Jim Gunn, a consultant working for the board to review programs and school utilization.

The invitation has done little to mollify councillors, who insist that school board members make a presentation at their Barrington location. “I think the school board was elected to represent all of the people of the Municipality of Barrington, along with the Town of Clark’s Harbour. I think that we’ve certainly asked them to come here so we could explain to them our position and then the school board could represent us when Dr. Gunn comes here instead of us going to Dr. Gunn, the school board should be going to Dr. Gunn with our decision” said councillor Cecil O’Donnell. “Upon what criteria has the board decided to make the recommendation that the Clark’s Harbour school be the school recommended for retrofit,” asked councillor Shaun Hatfield at the May 25 council meeting.

A motion to send a letter to the school board asking this question was approved.