Central Spryfield under review for closure; Sambro Elementary safe

Hi folks,

I was at that marathon school board meeting earlier this week, listening to the board discuss putting 12 Halifax-area schools up for review for closure. Five schools are up for review, and seven are safe for now.

In our area, Central Spryfield is up for review, and Sambro Elementary is not.

To be clear: being under review means that school board staff and consultants will take the next year to prepare reports on what kind of effect closing the schools would have. One year from now, the school board will look at all those reports, and THEN they will vote on whether the schools should be closed. If they vote yes, there is then a window of five years to close the schools.

Bottom line: It will likely be six years before (or if) any of these schools close.

Here are the highlights of what the staff report to the board said regarding the J.L. Ilsley family of schools (under which Central Spryfield and Sambro Elementary both fall). This is what staff is recommending for the area:
 
-Potential closure of Central Spryfield, with students redirected to Elizabeth Sutherland School
-In all schools, reconfigure grades from P-6,7-9,10-12 CHANGE TO P-5, 6-8, 9-12
-Review J.W. MacLeod/Fleming Tower, Chebucto Heights, William King and Rockingstone Heights in 2014 with possible closure in June 2017

Do you have a child at Central Spryfield or Sambro Elementary? What do you think of the plan for these schools? What about the plans for the other schools that are up for review in 2014? Use the comments field or the contact page to let me know! I’ll be happy to post your thoughts.

Source: http://www.outsidethecircle.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=194:central-spryfield-under-review-for-closure-sambro-elementary-safe&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50