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NCDSB is going ahead with a planned school closure and amalgamation.

A formal motion was presented at the Board of Trustee meeting, held Wednesday, May 25, that read:

 Be it resolved that effective September, 2017, the Northeastern Catholic District School Board approve the closure of Sacred Heart School and the creation of a Dual Track FDK to Grade 4 or Grade 5 school at the St. Paul School site and a Dual Track Grade 5 or Grade 6 to Grade 8 school at the O’Gorman Intermediate Catholic School site depending on enrolment trends.

Richard Brassard, Board Chair, commented “We extend our appreciation to the Accommodation Review Committee for their dedicated work in this endeavour and we thank them for their patience, involvement and input throughout the entire process.    In the view of the Board, we sincerely believe in the positive impact on student learning that will result from this decision.  Consequently, we will submit a request for funding to the Ministry of Education in order to transform our current facilities for Catholic elementary students here in the City of Timmins. ”

Communication Coordinator, Andrew Marks says the council at Sacred Heart are being very vocal about the decision.

“They wanted their school community to stay together.  They have a great little school that’s been around for 80 years.  But what we have to do is take that school community and bring it elsewhere so it can thrive in a different setting.”

The Board is now developing a plan which will be submitted to the Ministry of Education for possible funding.

A separate committee is being created to orchestrate the transition for students and staff  to minimize any disruption to students.