The Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board has voted to permanently close 17 schools in the district over the next five years.
The following schools will close in September:
- Bridgeport School
- East Bay School
- Gowrie Memorial School
- MacDonald Elementary School
- MacLennan Middle School
- Mira Road Elementary School
- Mount Carmel Elementary School
- St. Agnes Elementary School
- St. Joseph Elementary School
- Sydney Mines Middle School
- Thompson Middle School
Closing in September 2017:
- Florence Elementary School
Closing in September 2020:
- Harbourside Elementary School
- Sherwood Park Middle School
Closing in September 2021:
- Seton Elementary School
- Tompkins Memorial Elementary School
A timeline is still to be determined for George D. Lewis School.
The board’s chair says it was a difficult decision, but necessary to maintain programming and respond to declining enrolment.
"We've lost the equivalent of a school a year in terms of enrollment," said board chair Lorne Greene.
In addition to the closures, the board is also requesting the province build a new elementary and new middle school.