This year, the summer holiday seems short not only for the students and staff of Island schools but for a large number of construction contractors, who are working on repair projects throughout the Province. The Department of Education in cooperation with School Boards and the Department of Transportation and Public Works has undertaken approximately thirty major repair projects with an estimated cost in excess of four million dollars.
Capital Construction Projects during the 1997 summer break included items such as roofing, flooring, ventilation and masonry.
Students returning to Stonepark Junior High School will note a major change in the school due to the removal of the carpet and the installation of new vinyl tile. As well, complete upgrading of the mechanical ventilation system and reroofing of approximately half the school will be completed this summer. These repairs will improve the indoor air quality as well as extend the life of the school that was constructed in 1973.
Bloomfield School was temporarily closed in late 1996, due to air quality problems. The problems have now been corrected and the school will be ready for the return of students and staff in September. Remediation work included window replacement, wall reconstruction, water proofing, disinfection and painting and flooring replacement.
A new synthetic gymnasium floor, to replace the old wood floor that had outlived its useful life, will be installed at Glen Stewart School; additional projects at this school include the installation of an elevator and masonry repointing of the south wall.
Minister Gillan expressed his appreciation to the contractors and their employees who are working long hours to complete these projects during the summer school break. "Just as curriculum and teaching methods are crucial components to quality education, so too is a safe and comfortable learning environment."
Minister Gillan also complemented the staff at each school who are required to complete the summer cleaning and preparation work under difficult circumstances due to the ongoing construction.
The repair projects were selected on a priority scale based on a province wide evaluation of the various school facilities and consultation with the School Boards. "The Department is continuing to assess the needs of schools and determine the priority of repairs for Island educational facilities," says Hon. Chester Gillan, Minister of Education.