Looking to restart Academy amalgamation

LEWISPORTE - A Nova Central School Board meeting slated for Feb. 19 will hopefully give Lewisporte Academy's School Council some of the answers they have been seeking.

Back in April of 2005 a redevelopment of Lewisporte Academy and Lewisporte Middle School into a K-9 school, which would be located at the Lewisporte Academy location on Spruce Avenue, was announced. That September the ball got rolling on a three-year plan with the amalgamation of the administration of the two schools - one principal and one vice-principal, a combined budget, the Grade 5 students remained at the Lewisporte Academy building and the school councils united.

Construction of a new wing onto the school to accommodate the larger volume of students was scheduled, at that time, to be completed and ready for occupancy in September of this year. However, work on the proposed redevelopment soon stalled.

Brian Peckford, chair of the Lewisporte Academy School Council, said a lot of the restructuring of the schools was very positive.

"Right from the start the school council was in favour of the restructuring because there were some issues with the other building (Lewisporte Middle School). There was upwards of half a million dollars it was quoted that had to be spent if that building wasn't closing," explained Mr. Peckford.

Mr. Peckford noted that the combined school would offer a lot of improvements for students. He noted that many people were thinking that the addition to be built onto the school would house the junior high students but this was not the plan. "They were going to build on a new elementary part, they were going to build Kindergarten classrooms with little kitchen facilities and washrooms incorporated into the classrooms," he said.

Mr. Peckford said the plans also saw the addition of industrial arts and home economics rooms, technology labs and computer labs.

Mr. Peckford said the school council of the day had a number of issues that they wrote the school board about.

"The main concern was the gym," said Mr. Peckford. "The middle school gym is over 12 feet longer and about 10 feet wider but the biggest factor is the ceiling height - you are looking at a difference of over 10 feet in the height of the gym."

Mr. Peckford said that poses some major problems for hosting provincial tournaments, as the gym at Lewisporte Academy isn't high enough. That however doesn't seem to be a concern for the Department of Education.

"The only issue the Department of Education has is does the existing gym meet the specs in terms of the curriculum? If they build on just classrooms and use the existing gym, is that gym adequate for curriculum, which is your phys-ed - and it is," said the school council chair.

And there is where the problem lies.

Mr. Peckford said they had several meetings with then Lewisporte MHA Tom Rideout on the issues as well as with current MHA Wade Verge. Mr. Peckford has also spoken with several senior department officials within the Department of Education up to the director level and the senior engineer.

"Basically they are saying if it meets curriculum you aren't getting a gym," said Mr. Peckford. "And that's where it stopped."

The restructuring of the facility to house the Kindergarten to Grade 9 students would cost about $1.5 - 2 million. A new gym would cost about $1.5 million itself.

What's happening?

Mr. Peckford said the school council is now left wondering do they move ahead?

On Jan. 31, CEO and director of education with Nova Central School District Cindy Fleet and assistant director Shawn Brace, who is in charge of the finance division, met with the Lewisporte Academy School Council.

Mr. Peckford said that right now Lewisporte Academy is not on the priority list for the board.

"If the gym issue had not come up we would have been on time and we would probably be moving into that building this fall," he said.

Mr. Peckford said Ms. Fleet gave the school council an overview of how the restructuring works. Right now the restructuring at Lewisporte Academy is given a 'B' rating with a rating of 'A' being priority for the board.

"She assured us that yes it is still on the radar and basically she needed something from us saying we were willing to work with the school board, and we are," said Mr. Peckford. "We made a motion reconfirming our support for the restructuring."

Mr. Peckford is scheduled to make a presentation at the Feb. 19 board meeting of the Nova Central School District.

"Right now rumour has it that the specifications have changed with respect to what you are allowed per student per square foot and I think the size of gymnasiums have increased as well," he said.

Mr. Peckford is optimistic that at the Feb. 19 board meeting the project can get back on track. The next step would be to move forward with a floor plan.

He said once they get the project moving again parents will be involved in the process.

"If we see something that we are comfortable with, a floor plan for instance, then we will take it to all the rest of the parents and get their approval too," said Mr. Peckford. "If for instance the gym doesn't go, we are going to have to make a decision - do we go ahead with the restructuring with the current gym or do we stop all the improvements that are slated just for the gym for extracurricular activities?"

Mr. Peckford said the gym issue poses concerns for the whole community, as the loss of provincial tournaments will mean a loss of revenue for local businesses as well.

Once Mr. Peckford meets with the board Feb. 19, he said the school council would have more answers as to where the project sits.