Cartwright parents want new school to replace aging, inaccessible building
'It's got pretty much everything a school would need 50 years ago,' says mayor
Compared with other buildings in Cartwright, Henry Gordon Academy is a behemoth — a sprawling building with room for hundreds of students.
It's also out-of-date and inaccessible, according to parents who say its many flights of stairs and lack of parking are especially challenging for people with disabilities.
"It's almost impossible, really," said Olive Davis, whose 24-year-old daughter, Hillary, is a Henry Gordon graduate.
Even though Hillary has finished school, she still has occasion to visit, but it's no easy task.
Because of her cerebral palsy and Williams syndrome — a developmental disorder — she uses a stroller to get around and can take no more than a few steps with support.
"You have to climb one set of stairs and then you have to go down another two sets of stairs. So it's really difficult for anybody with mobility issues," her mother told CBC News.
For the past two years the annual Cartwright Christmas parade has ended in the school gym. It's Davis family tradition to go. Hillary's father even makes a float.
"We really look forward to the parade, and we look forward to her seeing Santa Claus," said Olive Davis.
Two years ago, the family wheeled Hillary's stroller around the one exterior door that's ground level and waited for someone to open it inside. They held Hillary's arms as she lurched up and down the steps, then wheeled her down to the other end of school to the gymnasium.
"We didn't go to the Santa Claus parade this year," Davis said. "First time ever."
She said Hillary had many of the same issues when she was a student.
"We were always worried about her."
'It needs to be replaced'
Cartwright mayor and self-described proud alumnus Dwight Lethbridge is worried, too.
He agreed the building is inaccessible, and he's concerned for students' safety.
"I've seen lots of students fall up and down stairs, bump into bulkheads in the gymnasium," he said. "Lots of bumps and bruises."
Lethbridge also has concerns about school parking. When the school was built in the 1960s, few people in Cartwright had cars. Today, teachers and staff park bumper-to-bumper.
"The bus actually stops on the main thoroughfare in town," Lethbridge said. "It halts all traffic while it's loading and unloading. There is no shoulder for it to pull off onto."
I've seen lots of students fall up and down stairs, bump into bulkheads in the gymnasium.- Dwight Lethbridge
While there is more than enough space for the town's shrinking student body, Lethbridge said the classrooms aren't customized to meet the needs of students, the workshop is outdated and there is no cafeteria.
"It's a massive building. It's got big classrooms, it's got a lot of classrooms. It's got pretty much everything a school would need 50 years ago."
The mayor is not opposed to downsizing, either. He said the school was built to accommodate hundreds of students, but average enrolment is around 75.
"I don't think it's cost-effective to update it, he said. "I think it needs to be replaced."
District says no complaints in recent years
The school district responded to CBC's request for comment with a written statement:
"Accessibility codes applicable to the time of construction and/or extensions would not be the same as new construction in 2018," reads the statement, provided by a district spokesperson.
"Consequently, the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District does recognize this may pose challenges for some individuals, and we aim to be responsive to concerns brought to our attention.
The statement says neither the school nor the district has received any complaints specific to the school in recent years.
Funding for furnace and heating system upgrades
"As part of the district's 2017-2020 strategic plan, a commitment has been made to evaluate the accessibility of all schools and develop a multi-year plan to increase accessibility in district facilities. Henry Gordon Academy will be included in this process."
The statement also says funding has been provided in recent years for a new furnace system for the primary section of the school, as well as for upgrades to the heating system in the intermediate/high school wing.
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