The Tory government announces a new school in another Tory district
The Houston government last month unveiled plans for three new schools, all in districts controlled by Tory MLAs.
Minister for Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage Pat Dunn announced the latest project in the City of Trenton on Thursday. Dunn is also the MLA for the district, Pictou Centre.
The new school, which is expected to open in September 2027, will accommodate students from pre-school through 8th grade and will replace Trenton Elementary and Trenton Middle School. Trenton Elementary was built in 1966, while the high school was built in 1925 and added in 1953, 1967, and 1985.
“This new school is great for students, staff and the community,” Dunn said in a press release.
“Not only will it address aging infrastructure and population growth, it will also ensure that the school remains a vibrant center that brings the whole community together.”
The project is part of the Tory government’s five-year school capital plan, announced earlier this month. That plan includes four “renewal projects”, replacing aging buildings.
Opposition is concerned about location choices
Education Minister Becky Druhan previously announced a new school in New Germany to replace two aging schools in that community a new French school in Porters Lake.
The capital plan also says that four new schools will be built in the Halifax Regional Municipality to address population growth with existing schools running out of space. Druhan has said that the location of the HRM schools and the fourth refresher school will be announced at a later date.
Liberal leader Zach Churchill said he will look to see the location of the fourth refreshed school and the locations of the four new HRM schools.
Churchill said a pattern is emerging where the government reserves announcements for districts representing its MLAs.
“I think it’s something we should be concerned about,” he said.
Decisions based on input from school districts, experts
Churchill was a member of the Liberal government the last time a range of new schools and replacement schools was announced.
While many of those projects took place in Liberal districts, Churchill pointed to schools in Wedgeport and Springhill, areas then and now represented by Progressive Conservative MLAs, as evidence that opposition districts were not overlooked.
“They were driven by growth rates and the need for capital. [The government] must demonstrate that they are actually building schools where they are most needed from a population and maintenance point of view, and I don’t know if they’ve already claimed that.
Ministry of Education spokeswoman Barbara Ferguson said in a statement that officials are working with regional education centers and the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial to understand infrastructure needs, and then “with experts from the Department of Public Works to objectively consider factors such as state facilities, to inform decisions provincially.”
Ferguson said the locations of the HRM schools will be determined by reviewing growth forecasts and planning for housing projects.
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