THUNDER BAY – Members of the public will get their second chance to weigh in on the Lakehead School Board’s renewal plan at two meetings scheduled for next week.
The plan, which proposes cutting the number of public high schools in half and closing several elementary schools, was introduced earlier this year and the first north and south public meetings were held in April.
The board recommends closing Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate and Vocational Institute after the 2016-2017 school year, leaving Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute as the lone south side high school.
As well, Agnew H. Johnston and Edgewater Park public schools would close with a new elementary school built on the former Churchill site. That new elementary school would open in September 2018.
Two other south side elementary schools, Kingsway Park and Hyde Park, would be amalgamated into one building.
There are two options on the north side.
The first would close Hammarskjold High School with Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute becoming the lone north side secondary school.
Two north side elementary schools, C.D. Howe and St. James, would close and those students would be relocated to an expanded Vance Chapman Public School.
The second option would see Hammarskjold remain open as the lone north high school with Superior being converted into an elementary school with C.D. Howe, St. James and Vance Chapman all closing.
As with the south side, the one high school would close in June 2017 and the expanded or converted elementary school would open in September 2018.
The second south side meeting will be held at Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate and Vocational institute next Monday and the second north side meeting will be held at Hammarskjold High School next Wednesday.
Both meetings are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.
