Changing schools

After gathering feedback from school communities in Hants West, Eastern Kings and Annapolis counties; the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board (AVRSB) is ready to roll out phase two of its school review process.

In the fall of 2008, the regional board started a series of school reviews to help with long-range planning. Phase one looked at student population projections, building conditions and future facility use rates. Since the initial consultative phase, Nova Scotia announced new schools construction and capital renovations to a number of schools in the region.

In January of 2009, the AVRSB approved new grade configurations superintendent of schools Margo Tait says will impact on the school review process. Preferred grade configurations were amended to include primary to grade five for elementary schools, grades six to eight for middle schools and grades nine to 12 for high schools. “Both of these developments factored into the options that have been put forward by staff,” reports Tait.

Three options have been drafted for schools in Eastern Kings County. The first option would be to create a separate middle school serving all students in grades six to eight presently attending Hantsport, L.E. Shaw, Wolfville and Gaspereau Elementary. This would involve converting L.E. Shaw to a standalone middle school and redistributing the primary to grade five population of that school to the other three schools. This would require some renovations to L.E. Shaw.

The second option would be to convert Gaspereau, Hantsport and L.E. Shaw to Primary to five chools, with all grade six, seven and eight students consolidated at Wolfville in a primary to eight configuration. This would allow for a consolidated middle school program at Wolfville, but would have to be delayed until anticipated renovations there are completed in 2016.

Under the third option, students in grades six, seven and eight would be housed at Hantsport in a primary to eight configuration, with Gaspereau, L.E. Shawand Wolfville all becoming primary to grade five schools. Wolfville would be the most affected in this scenario, becoming smaller than in the first option but, as in that option, would have the opportunity to create more exterior space for the school’s students.

Tait says the school board has not prioritized the options, and no decisions will be made until the public consultation wraps up. Public meetings are planned to review the options and continue the process of reviewing programming and grade configurations within schools throughout the region. The Eastern Kings Schools Review meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at L.E. Shaw November 23. “All options will be reviewed at the meeting and there will be an opportunity for public comment and presentations,” says Tait. Written submissions can be sent to school board until December 31.