Newfoundland and Labrador’s English school district never requested a new high school announced in the town where Prime Minister Andrew Fury lives, an email obtained by CBC/Radio-Canada shows.
In the email, provincial CEO Tony Stack demanded an explanation from the government after planning money for the new facility came up unexpectedly in the latest provincial budget.
“[The new school] was not one of the three priorities we identified, nor was there ever a request for high school infrastructure in the PCSP [Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s]Stack wrote in an email to Deputy Education Minister Greg O’Leary on April 18.
“Can you provide any information about this message that may assist in responding or planning a catchment correction?”
Stack declined an interview request, but Education Minister John Hagee said Wednesday that the decision “stems from the infrastructure and budget discussions” and that the facility will allow more than 300 students to avoid being bused to St. John’s.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said: “The MHA for the area, the mayor and other members of the community have long advocated for a new school as enrollment pressures have increased in the area in recent years.
“Where the prime minister lives is completely irrelevant.
The new school at Portugal Cove-St. Phillips, a town bordering St. John’s to the west, did not appear on the county’s most recent list of priority capital requests. The document was provided to the government in 2017-18 and has not been changed since then, according to a district spokesperson. It details a number of requests that have not yet been approved to replace schools described as “aging” or “ill-equipped to offer current programming.”
4 school projects in the budget, 3 recommended by districts
Planning money for four major school infrastructure projects was included in the last provincial budget tabled in April. The district had recommended three of them: new schools at Cartwright and Kenmount Terrace, and the redevelopment of Dorset Collegiate on Peele Island.
“The school district received its three priorities. And as I said, through our due diligence, this government and the Department of Education, we identified that [other] pressure point for this year,” Hagi said.
Hagi said the 317 students from Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s are currently on a bus to St. John’s for an hour. That number could rise to about 400 by the time the new school opens, he said, adding that for the first time in 50 years, school enrollment in the province increased in 2022-23, jumping by about 1,000 students.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said the increased student enrollment “made it prudent to discuss new school priorities that may not have been previously identified within the NLESD.”
Hagi said it became apparent to the government that there was a need.
“The community really wanted to do this and the local MHA [interim PC Party Leader David Brazil] was a vigorous advocate for it,” he said.
John Hagee, pictured in an archive photo from October, became education minister after the new school was announced in April’s budget. (Patrick Butler/Radio-Canada)
Major Power System Impacts: Area Chief Executive
In the same April 18 email, Stack wrote that the new high school in Portugal Cove-St. Philip’ will have a profound impact on PWC [Prince of Wales Collegiate] power system.”
The student population at Prince of Wales Collegiate, described by Haggie as “an outstanding school in St. John’s” has been steadily declining in recent years. Enrollment fell below 600 in 2021-22. In each of the first eight years of the 2000s, more than 800 students attended the school, according to figures posted on the government’s website.
Prince of Wales Collegiate accepts students from only two junior high schools: Leary’s Brook Junior High (379 students in 2021-22) in St. John’s and Brookside Intermediate (540 students) in Portugal Cove-St. of Philip.
“There are zones in the metro [St. John’s] where the distribution of students will need to be explored as the demographics change,” Hagi said. “We saw a bulge in the Portugal Cove-St. of Philip. We see some aging infrastructure in the area around Prince of Wales Collegiate and its feeder schools.”
“I support the decision”
Haggie said Wednesday it’s too early to say how many students will attend the new high school at Portugal Cove-St. Philip or how much construction will cost. There is currently no timeline for the completion of the project.
The new grammar school was announced while Tom Osborne was Education Secretary. Osborne, who was not available for an interview, became health secretary on July 6 when he swapped cabinet portfolios with Hagee.
Asked if he would have announced the new school if he had been education minister in April, Hagi said: “These decisions are government decisions. We take them collectively. I support the decision.”
Department of Education spokeswoman Tina Coffey said the latest provincial budget included $1.25 million in planning infrastructure projects, including four new or remodeled schools, but also improvements to the National War Memorial in St. John’s. The department could not provide a further breakdown of costs.
Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
Add Comment