Elected members of the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board have voted to permanently close 17 schools, over the next five years.
The Board announced the closures during a public meeting at Riverview High in Coxheath, last night.
Ten of the schools will be closing in June.
They are Bridgeport School and MacDonald Elementary in Glace Bay, Mount Carmel and St. Agnes Elementary Schools in New Waterford, Gowrie Memorial School in Port Morien, MacLennan Middle School in Westmount, Mira Road Elementary, St. Joseph’s Elementary in Sydney Mines, Thompson Middle School in North Sydney and East Bay School.
The Board says Florence Elementary will close next year.
Sherwood Park Education Centre in Sydney is slated for closure by 2020 while Tompkins Elementary in Reserve Mines, Seton Elementary in North Sydney and Sydney Mines Middle School will all close by 2021.
Whitney Pier’s Harbourside Elementary was not originally considered for closure, but the Board says it will shut down by 2020.
George D. Lewis School in Louisbourg was also slated for closure but the school could be saved if the Board approves a hub school proposal being developed by a community group.
Three of the 19 schools originally indentified by the Board for possible closure escaped the chopping block.
John Bernard Croak VC Memorial School in Glace Bay, Whitney Pier Memorial Middle School and Robin Foote Elementary in Westmount will not be closing.
The Board also voted to ask the Department of Education to build two new schools, last night.
It’s looking for a new elementary School in the Glace Bay area to replace MacDonald Elementary School and Tompkins Memorial School in Reserve Mines.
It’s also requesting a new Middle School for the Northside to replace Sydney Mines Middle School and Thompson Middle School.