By Cheryl Jahn

Quesnel School District Hoping For New School

Aug 27, 2018 | 3:42 PM

QUESNEL – While the school year gets underway next week, there are still some trades working to get the old Maple Drive School in Quesnel ready for students. The only school had sat vacant for 15 years, but District 28 recent looked at the viability of the Quesnel Junior School downtown.

“We had done some looking into the old Quesnel school that was downtown. We found some serious issues with the building itself,” explains Gloria Jackson, Chair of the Board of Education. “So we contacted the Ministry and started working with them on a plan to get staff and students out of there as quickly as possible.”

The district was given $1.7 million in emergency funding from the Province to breathe new life into the vacant Maple Drive School. The plan was originally to have the students move in after Easter break earlier this year, but they found some extra fixes that needed to be done and carried on the work over the summer months to ensure the school was safe for students and staff. But Jackson insists Maple Drive School is not the final destination.

“This is a temporary measure. So we are still advocating with the Ministry of Education for a new school.”

Not only is it an older school, it isn’t big enough. Next week, there will 475 Grades eight and nine students squeezed into a school design to house 400 students. It means there are already three portables on site.

Spruce Kings Show Home

Local residents win 2024's Spruce Kings Show Home

6h ago

CNC Board approves balanced budget

6h ago

Crime

Prince George RCMP confirm identity of human remains found at Bowron River rest area

8h ago

The district is currently working on a project definition report which needs to be in the ministry’s hands by the end of October.

“And we are very hopeful that we will have an announcement in February and have something exciting come to the community.”

LIVE HIT AT NOON

FULL STORY AT 5 PM