Proposal to replace west end school in works in Moncton

A member of the Moncton District Education Council says he's "very confident" the provincial government will approve a pair of recommendations the council plans to submit in May as part of its capital projects list.

The council decided Tuesday night that it will recommend the province replace Bessborough School and, if possible, do so on the school's existing site in Moncton's west end.

Although confident, council member Norval McConnell also said Wednesday that he has one concern, which he suggested is a common one.

"If we build a school on site at Bessborough, then we've got to make sure that the kids are safe and the staff are safe at Bessborough during that construction period," McConnell said, "And that will come with some challenges."

He noted this has been done before, but that was at the nearby École Sainte-Bernadette, which only runs from kindergarten through Grade 5 and needed less land.

Safety "will be something that will have to be a priority," McConnell said of the Bessborough case.

The context

Bessborough's parent school support committee requested more than a year ago that the school receive a mid-life upgrade — in other words, that it be renovated to meet today's standards.

However, the province found renovations would have amounted to more than 70 per cent of the cost of replacing the school.

"If it's going to be more than 70 per cent, they don't do those projects," McConnell said. "They essentially say, 'If you're going to get an upgrade, then you're going to have to replace the school.'"

The province and the District Education Council have worked "diligently" to put together a proposal, he said. The council will include its request to replace Bessborough on its capital projects list, which it will submit at the end of May.

Hillcrest considers options

Meanwhile, parents at Hillcrest School, a much smaller school in the same neighbourhood, are also interested in this process.

The council can include in its recommendations for Bessborough that the new school incorporate students at Hillcrest, McConnell said, adding that the council has until the fall to notify the minister of this.

Currently, Bessborough has roughly 470 students, but would grow to about 600 with the addition of existing Hillcrest students.

The potential merger would affect the size of the school, as well its facilities. It would involve consolidating programs, which McConnell said has advantages as the province sets priorities.

"Frankly, if two schools are included, from a financial perspective for the province ... the project gets an opportunity to move higher on their list with that," he said.

For now, the council is waiting for a decision from Hillcrest parents.

Landmass an issue

There's one problem: the land Bessborough sits on isn't large enough to accommodate a 600-student school, and it's "extraordinarily challenging" to find an alternative site in the same neighbourhood, McConnell said.

The alternatives would involve changes to infrastructure such as sidewalks and roads, which would require the city to get involved.

"There can be complications come with that, so our number one target is to leave [Bessborough] right in the neighbourhood," he said. "That location would be perfect."

However, there's a piece of land beside Bessborough, which the school could potentially acquire to increase its landmass.

Timeline still unknown

McConnell couldn't say on Wednesday morning how quickly this could come to fruition.

"I do believe that a one-school replacement versus a two-school replacement — that will have a dramatic impact on the timeline," he said.

"I think, realistically, the project will be done, but it probably would help the project if we had both schools involved, timeline-wise, because again it's cost-efficiency, then."