28 New Brunswick schools to be studied for closure

New Brunswick school districts have provided the provincial government with lists of schools that will be subject to a viability study this coming year.

The new viability study was announced by Education Minister Serge Rousselle earlier this year, as part of the new department policy surrounding school closure reviews.

A school is subjected to a viability study when it has fewer than 100 students or its occupancy rate falls below 30 per cent. The study does not automatically lead to a closure, as the final decision rests with the minister of education.

One school being studied for closure is Janeville Elementary School, located outside Bathurst. Kathleen Knowles-Ellis, who has a child in Grade 3 there, was outraged to hear it might close.

"We have a very unique situation happening at our school. There are only 45 students. The children do not fall through the cracks," she said.

It's really going to be of a loss for our kids. And for the community.- Kathleen Knowles-Ellis, concerned parent

"There is almost one-on-one teacher-to-student ratio. The children come out of elementary school well-prepared, with a really good base — a foundation that is phenomenal to build on. It's a huge loss for us."

Knowles-Ellis says the community also unites around its school, but that will be lose if the students are moved to Bathurst or elsewhere.

"We're able to make it work, but if you start moving those children that far away, that involvement is going to deteriorate. It's going to eliminate it," she said.

"It's really going to be of a loss for our kids. And for the community. They're really involved. They're involved with the youth. It's a huge loss."

Changing demographics

Jean-Guy Finn, a former deputy minister in education department, contends some school closures are necessary because of changing demographics, and that they have been a long time coming.

"In my view, this would have been much easier if governments in the past would have made some of these decisions some time ago. Because this has been building for the last 40 years," said Finn.

"But government has been hesitant to make these decisions."

Of the 28 schools to be considered in the initial viability study, 15 are in anglophone districts. The list of schools by district is:

• Anglophone West School District: McAdam Elementary, Burton Elementary, Millville Elementary, Nackawic Elementary, Nackawic Middle, Nackawic High.
• Anglophone South School District: Back Bay Elementary, Lawrence Station Elementary.
• Anglophone North School District: Napan Elementary, Tide Head, Lord Beaverbook (in Campbellton), Campbellton Middle, North and South Esk Elementary and North and South Esk High (in Sunny Corner), Janeville Elementary School.
• Francophone South School District: Calixte-F.-Savoie (in Sainte-Anne-de-Kent), Saint-Paul, Mont Carmel (in Sainte-Marie-de-Kent), Mgr-Marcel-Francois-Richard (in Saint-Louis-de-Kent), Marée Montante (in Saint-Louis-de-Kent).
• Francophone Northwest School District: A.J.-Savoie (in Saint-Quentin), Saint-Anne Regional (in Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska), Ernest-Lang (in Saint-François).
• ​Francophone Northeast School District: La Découverte (in Saint-Sauveur), L'Escale-des-Jeunes (in Bas-Caraquet), Académie Assomption (in Bathurst), Séjour-Jeunesse (in Point-Verte), Ola-Léger (in Bertrand).

The school districts must submit their recommendations to the education minister by Jan. 31, 2016. The minister will then have 60 days to accept the recommendations or not.

The affected communities can challenge the minister's decision. Judicial reviews are currently underway challenging the government's decision to close schools in Saint John's north end and Browns Flat, effective for the 2015-16 school year.