Community to plead case to save Wentworth school

Parents and community members will get a chance to make their case Tuesday night to keep Wentworth Consolidated Elementary School open.

There are two teachers and one principal to oversee the 25 students that attend Wentworth Consolidated.

The cost per student is the second highest in the Chignecto Regional School Board, and the board has said with a projected decline in enrollment, the cost per student is expected to rise even higher.

The board also said the school’s roof needs replacing at a cost of $160,000.

Cecil MacLeod, chair of the school review committee and father to one of the school’s students, said those numbers don’t stand up to scrutiny MacLeod has a son who currently attends the school and another two daughters approaching school age.

MacLeod, who works in construction, said the building is in better shape than the board is willing to admit.

He said the roof could be fixed for a fraction of the price of the official estimate.

He has even volunteered to do some of the work himself for free but the board has turned him down.

A recent survey completed by parents in the Wentworth area indicates that enrollment is set to increase, not fall in the coming years.

MacLeod said another thing the board should consider is the superior quality of education and school spirit at the small school.

MacLeod and others will have a chance to make these points to all 17 elected school members at a public meeting Tuesday evening at Wentworth Consolidated.

The board must make its final decision by the end of March.