Build new Moncton school on same site as old one, Bessborough parents ask

Parents at Bessborough School want a replacement school to go up on the current site in Moncton's west end and say they oppose a developer's proposal for a more distant location.

Premier Brian Gallant has already announced Moncton will get a new kindergarten to Grade 8 school to replace both Hillcrest and Bessborough schools.

The province has put aside $1.5 million to begin planning the new school, but there is no word on where the building will go. A local developer, meanwhile, is making a case for his own, undeveloped land in the west end.

• Developer proposes his land for new school next to Centennial Park in Moncton 
• Moncton secures new K-8 school for west end 
• Bessborough School in Moncton needs to be replaced, says report

"We don't need a new school for a new community, we need a new school for the existing community," John Steeves, co-chair of the parents building committee of Bessborough School, said Wednesday.

Construction of a school on the Bessborough site makes sense because a vast majority of students would live within walking distance of it, the committee says.

Steeves said schools for kindergarten to Grade 8 schools are typically built to accommodate between 500 and 700 kids.

"We're already at 500 kids, so it's not that much of an addition on the current site and it's certainly doable," he said. 

What you don't want is a developer or a few people in a community that don't represent the majority, to drive a decision that's going to affect us for generations.-Tyson Milner, committee chair

But a Moncton developer hopes the province will put the new school on his land next to Centennial Park.

Romeo Goguen, owner of Mapoma in Moncton, has proposed his land along the north edge of Centennial Park, across the street from the CN Sportplex, a large recreational facility in the west end.

Bill Whalen, a supporter of Goguen's proposal, has said he's already talked with parents and provincial and municipal officials about it.

Steeves said an area with industry is not a viable option and would bring a lot of risk and uncertainty. He said the cost of travel alone would raise the costs for the school.

"It might be a great spot for a future school," he said. "But it might not be a perfect spot for existing students.

"You have to explore your current assets, which is the current location."

Parents want kids to stay put

Parents at Hillcrest School supported the idea of Goguen's land for a school, according to Whalen, but parents at Bessborough weren't as supportive.

Tyson Milner, a co-chair of the parents committee, said surveys sent out to parents at Bessborough School brought about 150 responses in return — most in support of building a school at its current location.

"They were fairly passionate about keeping the school in their neighbourhood," he said.

"We've asked for a new school in our neighbourhood, not a new school in an industrial park."

Milner, whose daughter will be starting kindergarten in the fall, said a school on the other side of Centennial Park would be about a 1.5 kilometre-walk for students in his area.

"Although the school mandate says that they can walk, I don't know what parent would let their five-year-old child walk 1.5 kilometres to a school," he said.

The co-chairs will be starting a campaign this year to initiate their concerns. They will also host a town hall meeting on April 25.

"What you don't want is a developer or a few people in a community that don't represent the majority, to drive a decision that's going to affect us for generations," said Milner.