A special meeting of the Rainy River District School Board will be held today at 5:30 p.m. at Robert Moore School in order to make a final decision about the future of F.H. Huffman School.
After several public consultations and meetings, the Accommodation Review Committee unanimously recommended in April that Huffman be consolidated with Robert Moore in a new building on the Robert Moore School property.
A minimum of 60 days had to be given before trustees could vote on the recommendation.
In coming to its decision, Heather Campbell, the board’s superintendent of education, said the committee looked at the School Valuation Framework, which encompasses the value to the student, system, community, and local economy.
The committee also took into consideration feedback from the public, as well as the information provided about the building of a new Robert Moore School.
The provincial government’s offer to provide planning approval for a total capitalized value of $9.8 million to address facility conditions at the school was announced back in December.
The board has since been moving ahead with the next steps of a rebuild at Robert Moore.
Both Huffman and Robert Moore were declared prohibitive to repair (meaning the cost of repair exceeds the cost of building new).
The other alternatives considered by the Accommodation Review Committee included keeping Huffman open with minor repairs being completed with School Renewal funding, rebuilding the school, and closing it.
By recommending consolidation, rather than outright closure, it’s expected students will continue to attend Huffman until the new Robert Moore School is ready.
Agendas, minutes, the framework, and other documents are available on the board’s website at www.rrdsb.com
Tonight’s meeting is open to the public.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
