Province Addressing Safety Concerns at Centre Consolidated

Centre Consolidated School, near Lunenburg, is getting some repairs through a cost-sharing arrangement between the Department of Education and the South Shore Regional School Board.

The department and the school board will each contribute $52,500 to the project.

"We're very pleased to have the opportunity to address the situation at Centre Consolidated, which was not scheduled for upgrades for several more years," said Jamie Muir, Minister of Education. "These improvements will make the school safer and more modern, buying time for a long-term solution."

The renovations will include electrical upgrades for the 50-year-old school, which was designed long before today's computer systems and office equipment became common in schools. The ventilation system, locker rooms and washrooms will also be improved.

This is the first in a series of improvements for Centre Consolidated, which will take place in the coming years. A contract should be awarded in early May to develop a multi-phased improvement plan to extend the useful life of the school.

School boards submit their priorities for school construction and renovation to the Department of Education every two years. The South Shore Regional School Board recently moved Centre Consolidated up on their priority list.

Centre Consolidated School is home to 535 students in grades primary to nine.