Achi news desk-
The new north end school in St. John, NB, will also get a community center.
Hazen White St. School Francis and Centennial School will eventually merge into a new school, which will have nearly 522 students.
The center will include childcare spaces, lunch programs and spaces for community partners. Another school planned for the south end will be as well.
“It’s going to address emotional and social needs for both the kids and their families in the community, so that’s extremely exciting,” Education Secretary Bill Hogan told reporters Friday.
The project, however, has been delayed, according to the department. The school was planned to open in September 2026 but was pushed back a year.
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The original school project was expected to cost $41.69 million. The department invested more than $12 million to have the center integrated into the facility — making the project more than $53 million.
Hogan could not say what led to the delays in starting construction on the school.
But the school’s population, like many others, is growing.
The new education facility is welcome news for those trying to help accommodate the booming student population.
“It’s really going to help with our future expansion, but we’re seeing the numbers definitely grow in that area,” said Derek O’Brien, superintendent of the English South School District.
The school already has a small area where organizations work in the field with students and families. The new hubs will be modeled after him.
But having everyone in one central area is critical.
“What’s been the big problem is … you’re all over the city,” Stephanie McGarrigal, chair of the parent support committee at Centennial School. “Maybe you have your kid in one program and you have to go to the west side and then you have to go to SJRH and then You have to go to the district office, so the importance of this is that it brings the communities together. “
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