NDP Leader and Education Critic Lorraine Michael (MHA, St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi) is looking for answers on how government is planning and budgeting for the ongoing work needed to re-open Bishop Feild Elementary School in downtown St. John’s.
In October, a section of the school’s roof collapsed. Students are temporarily attending the former School for the Deaf on Topsail Road but the timeline for returning to the building is still uncertain.
Michael says parents remain concerned while waiting for much-needed updates.
Today in the House of Assembly, Michael said that staff and parents of Bishop Feild School learned from the February 26 letter from the English School District that there will be a one to two week delay in the public receipt of the engineer’s structural assessment of the building and recommendations regarding necessary repairs.
She says they are concerned that this delay may mean that necessary repair money may not be allocated for in the upcoming provincial budget, which is only weeks away.
“I ask the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, can he assure the Bishop Feild community that this delay will not affect allocation in the upcoming budget for anticipated repairs?” Michael said.
She continued, “I ask the Minister if he will assure the Bishop Feild School Council that the School District will have adequate funds to do the necessary repairs to the Bishop Feild building?”