Halifax school board saves 2 schools, closes 3

Hundreds of parents crowded into the auditorium at Dartmouth High School on Wednesday night as the Halifax Regional School Board voted to save two schools and close three others in the area.

Five schools were up for review: Prince Arthur Junior High School, Central Spryfield Elementary School, South Woodside Elementary School, Sackville Centennial Elementary School and Gertrude Parker Elementary School.

As its first order of business, the school board voted to close Prince Arthur Junior High School, though the closure won't happen until a new combination elementary and junior high schoolis built.

Irvine Carvery, the chair of the Halifax Regional School Board, told the gathered crowd that construction on a new Primary to Grade 9 school could begin in 2013.

The boardthen voted to keep South Woodside Elementary School open, a decision that drew big cheers from the crowd.

Just before 9 p.m., the Halifax Regional School Board voted to close Sackville Centennial Elementary School. The school will closein June 2014, which would provide enough time for a boundary review of the area to take place.

Gertrude Parker Elementary School will also close in June 2014.

The last school to be debated was Central Spryfield Elementary School. The Halifax Regional School Board voted to keep the school open, drawing applause from parents in attendance.

School boards across Nova Scotia are dealing with declining enrolment, along with budget cutbacks by the Department of Education.