Halifax Regional School Board chair wants transparency for decision to rebuild J.L. Ilsley

The chair of the Halifax Regional School Board says he would like a more thorough explanation as to how the province came to the conclusion to rebuild J.L. Ilsley High.

“This was an area that we asked for capital money, and we got it,” Dave Wright said.

“What I don’t know is how we got to the decision to get a new school versus a renovation. Certainly we’re not out of an alignment with the province on where we were investing money. I guess what I’m asking for is a better process on how we got to that final decision.”

READ MORE: Government defending J.L. Ilsley school replacement amid criticism

The school board outlined a number of asks in its 2017-2018 capital request to the province. Among them, new elementary, junior high and high schools in the Charles P. Allen family of schools and the replacement of aging infrastructure in the Citadel High family of schools. While J.L. Ilsley High was also on the list, the board was only asking for additional renovations to be carried out.

“We used the advice that our staff gave us and staff felt the appropriate investment was to allow extra finances to be used elsewhere,” Wright said.

“This was a need that has been identified for a long time. I would like to see the money invested wisely and if the minister’s process came out and said the appropriate investment was to build a new school then I think that’s perfectly fine. I just don’t know the details of that.”

The announcement also came as a shock to a man who spent months last year chairing a school options committee for the Citadel High family of schools.

“I worry that our recommendations are going to get passed over. Every one of our schools is older than J.L. The north end of Halifax is identified as a number one priority,” Jon Frost said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I worry that our recommendations are going to get passed over. Every one of our schools is older than J.L. The north end of Halifax is identified as a number one priority," Jon Frost said.

Frost, along with a group of parents and volunteers, spent much of 2016 consulting north-end parents as per the request of the Halifax Regional School Board. Their final recommendations were approved by the board in September of last year. Among them, the need for a new junior high in the area which has yet to be approved by the province.

“It was hard, though rewarding. But why did they make us go through this when they’re just going to make whatever choice they wanted to anyway?” Frost said.

Last year, Nova Scotia’s auditor general Michael Pickup said he could find no explanation for two other schools that were recently approved in Premier Stephen McNeil’s and Casey’s ridings.

READ MORE: ‘No evidence’ why schools approved in N.S. premier, education minister ridings jumped queue: auditor general

Pickup said the schools in Bridgetown and Tatamagouche, which were ranked 26th and 28th on the priority list of areas needing new schools, meant other places on the list were skipped.

“There is no evidence to support why these projects were approved ahead of other projects ranked higher by the evaluating committees, but not approved,” his report said.