Greenfield Community To Build New School

The rural community of Greenfield, Queens Co., has the green light to build its own school.

The two-classroom school is a joint project between the Department of Education and the Greenfield Community School Society. At its Wednesday, June 27 meeting, the South Shore Regional School Board agreed to sell the property to the society.

"The Greenfield School project was a unique proposal and one we are pleased to support," said Education Minister Karen Casey.

The existing school is 50 years old and lacks the modern infrastructure needed to accommodate students and the curriculum.

The Greenfield Community School Society will build and maintain the school. The Education Department will lease the school from the community for $72,000 per year for 20 years. The board will provide teachers and staff.

"We acknowledge the dedication and tenacity of the Greenfield Community School Society that will result in a new facility for Greenfield students. The South Shore Regional School Board will continue to focus on the equitable provision of quality programs and services," said South Shore Regional School Board Superintendent Nancy Pynch-Worthylake.

Tradespeople living in the community have built a cluster of facilities adjacent to the new school site that are already used by the students. These include a ball field, a tennis court and a gymnasium/health club/meeting facility.

"We have a unique situation here that includes pre-existing high-quality facilities that the students can use. This helped us to make a compelling out-of-the-box proposal for a community-built school and now we are moving forward on our plan," said Richard Freeman, Greenfield Community School Society.

Even before construction has begun, the design is winning acclaim. It was the featured project in a recent Charlottetown trade show promoting the use of wood in public buildings.