Overcrowding could give two Moncton schools closure reprieve

Two Moncton schools slated to close may get a temporary reprieve under a proposal to address the region's overcrowded schools.

Anglophone East School District is considering changes to school catchment areas and grade configurations and one option under consideration would affect schools in the city's west end.

Bessborough and Hillcrest are slated to close once a new kindergarten to Grade 8 school is complete next year. 

Randolph MacLean, the superintendent for the southeastern New Brunswick district, said the proposal is to keep Bessborough open as a K-5 school. The new school, which has yet to be named, could open as a middle school. 

MacLean said in an interview Monday that Hillcrest would then "become another type of learning centre."

Michelle Melendy, chair of the Bessborough parent school support committee, welcomed the proposal.

"I think the best part about keeping the school open, the current Bessborough School open, is that we get to keep an elementary school right in the heart of our neighborhood where the majority of the kids and parents can walk to school," Melendy told Information Morning Moncton.

The future of the schools, and the location of their replacement, became controversial.

Some parents wanted the new school built on the Bessborough site, but the province selected a location beside Bernice MacNaughton High School. 

Bessborough, built in 1958, and Hillcrest, built in 1954, were slated to close because of the estimated costs to keep them open. 

A midlife assessment of Bessborough pegged the cost of upgrades and an expansion at more than $15 million.

Melendy said spending on some of those items wasn't done because the school was expected to close. 

She said there are issues with the roof and ventilation system.

"So while the location is perfect … there are some concerns about the upgrades required," Melendy said.

The reprieve may only be temporary. MacLean said the district is asking the province's education department to keep the schools open for 10 years.  

"So obviously there's going to be some upgrades and some pieces we'd have to do to ensure the safety and long-term use of those schools."

It's unclear how much that work could cost.

CBC News asked the district for an interview about that this week, but it was not granted. 

"Given that the conversations around retention of the schools are currently happening and that the request has not yet been approved, we aren't in a position to provide comment," Stephanie Patterson, a spokesperson for the district, said in an email Tuesday. 

"If and when the request is approved, those details will be confirmed and we'll be able to discuss with more certainty."

The proposal was raised last at a District Education Council meeting last week. 

At the meeting, MacLean outlined how enrolment this year is well above what was projected, as the region's population climbs. 

Enrolment is projected to grow from 18,349 students this school year to 22,097 by 2028. 

MacLean said last week that equates to needing nine more schools.

Public consultation meetings are expected to take place before a decision on the west end schools is made.