At long last, the province has given the go-ahead for a rebuild of a seismically-sound Argyle secondary school. Though it’s not the Cadillac version of the school that the community wanted, perhaps it’s not practical to expect perks like an auditorium and outdoor washrooms, while more than 100 schools in the province are at risk of falling down in an earthquake.
Thankfully, the plan is for an adaptable design that can be expanded to include those other community benefits if the school district can find some well-heeled partners who want to fund them.
Parents, school board trustees, teachers and students have been beyond patient. Almost an entire cohort of students has come and gone since a seismically sound Argyle was identified as a high priority more than 11 years ago.
Not much has changed since the province promised to put up cash for seismic upgrades in 2012. The school district has planned for at least two years to fund the extra replacement cost through land sales of Monterey and Keith Lynn schools.
So why now?
We’re less than a year from the next provincial election. Our government MLAs have smashed open the piggy bank and are spreading the largesse in hopes that when May 9, 2017 comes, everyone has something to thank them for.
Argyle is a necessary project and we’re glad the announcement this week will lead to a safe school in the future – especially if the earth begins to shake.
Now, onto Handsworth…
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