Staff, students to return to Moncton High School

Moncton High School will be replaced by a new, state-of-the-art building, New Brunswick's education minister said Wednesday, but staff and students will have to return to the old one in the fall.

Jody Carr said the new school is scheduled to open in 2013. The location and design of the school will be determined in consultation with parents and with the local school district, he said.

Roughly 1,300 students and staff members were displaced in October when the 75-year-old Moncton High School closed due to environmental and safety concerns over the building. The students are finishing the year at a range of other schools around the city. The minister told staff and students they will return to the old school in the fall.

Many teachers told CBC News they were disappointed with having to return to what they see as an unsafe environment and planned to seek legal advice to prevent the government from compelling them to do so. None wished to go on the record for fear of ramifications.

Carr said the government would provide $2 million in remediation so students and teachers could use the current school and that it would be inspected first.

"The [new] school will provide anglophone high school students in Moncton with a modern and dynamic learning environment, complete with all the tools their teachers require to provide an enriched educational experience," Carr said in a media release.

Preserving old school

Claude Williams, the transportation and infrastructure minister, said they will talk to developers and community organizations about how they might use the old school when the new one opens.

"The provincial government understands how important Moncton High School is to the community of Moncton," Williams said. "Our goal is to preserve this building for the enjoyment of future generations."

"I understand the uncertainty surrounding the future of Moncton High School has been challenging for everyone impacted by the unexpected closure of the school last fall," Carr added. "I would like to commend all parties …. students, parents, teachers and support staff for being engaged in the development of tangible solutions."

The provincial government set aside $10 million in the 2011-12 budget to begin the new school.