A group of angry parents rallied Sunday to demand that an aging New Westminster High School be rebuilt.
Rally co-organizer Danielle Connelly said the community has waited on the government to do something about the school for years, but to no avail.
“For over a decade now, we’ve sat back quietly and accepted a lot of the delays,” she said. “There have been some legitimate ones, but at this point the only roadblock is the funding.”
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Connelly said the school is in a “deplorable state.”
“There’s asbestos on a lot of the surfaces, walls, floors,” she said. “There’s mould, there’s mice. I hear stories of teachers cleaning mice droppings out of their desks every day. There’s rats.”
An online petition has also been set up by New Westminster MLA Judy Darcy.
Education Minister Mike Bernier told the New Westminster Board of Education that the ministry is hopeful that a government decision will be made in the next few weeks.
“The Ministry is optimistic this project will receive funding support given the work that our collective teams have undertaken and I look forward to responding, as soon as a decision is reached,” Bernier said.
Connelly said the community is tired of talk and the province needs to take action.
“It’s time for the province to step up and do right by our kids.”
– With files from Nadia Stewart
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