Parents concerned over future of south end Saint John school

While no plans have been approved, the potential for closing a school in a south endSaint John neighbourhood has many concerned over the impact of displaced students.

On Wednesday night, the Anglophone South District Education Council will outline a plan to close St. John the Baptist-King Edward School.

Students enrolled in Kindergarten to Grade 5 would be shifted to Prince Charles School about a kilometre away. The others would be sent to a new middle school planned for the city's north end.

• 3 schools voted to be closed in Grand Bay-Westfield, Saint John

Six other schools across the north and south end would be considered as part of the plan. DEC Chair Bob Fowler said two other schools, M. Gerald Teed and Centennial School would also be closed in restructuring.

"This is a great opportunity, really for the city of Saint John to get in on some new facilities," said Fowler.

Declining enrolment

The average age of the seven buildings looked at in the proposal is 58-years-old. While age is definitely showing on some, Fowler said enrolment numbers tell the other half of the story.

"We've got seriously declining enrolment in the city of Saint John" he said. "We're down from the year 2000 [by] 28 per cent."

But according to the head of St. John the Baptist-King Edward's Parent School Support Committee, a new building won't solve south end children's issues. Theresa Rogers said the number of programs available for students in theneighbourhood outweigh the need for an upgrade.

"There's always something in place, there's always offers of help," said Rogers.

The school houses early learning and after school programs and also gives kids a place to eat. The Lunch Connection which offers breakfast and lunch to students had a new kitchen installed in the school two years ago.

"So our problem is: why do we have to let go of what we have here to uproot everyone to go somewhere else?"

No decision yet

It's a question that likely won't need to be answered for several months. The DEC won't make its recommendations to the province until spring 2017. Fowler said regardless of what happened, students likely wouldn't be shifted for about five years.

Still, Fowler assured any school program lost in a closure would move with the students. "We want to make sure that kids in our priority neighbourhoods are not hurt by this in any way."

'Kids are really valued'

Still, parents are concerned about what will happen with the closure.

Rachel Kidd's son is set to begin at the school next year. While she admits the walk to a new school wouldn't be an issue, the loss of what she's seen at St. John the Baptist-King Edward would be an issue.

"It's a small place where the kids are really valued," Kidd said, "I would really hate to see that go."