The movers are at Brooke Central Public School today.
Students are learning online this week, after an engineer’s report showed the roof in the older part of the school could collapse if there is more than 12 inches of snow.
Teachers have been packing up their rooms so students kindergarten to Grade 5 can move to Lambton Centennial Public School. Kindergarten to Grade 6 French Immersion students will move East Lambton Elementary School.
And the board decided to allow Grade 7&8 students to stay in the newer part of the building. Parents were concerned about a plan which would have sent them to LCCVI until the repairs were complete.
“The Lambton Kent District School Board is in process of conducting a structural analysis of the 2006 addition (at Brooke Central) and are confident there will be no concerns,” Director of Education John Howitt wrote in a letter to parents.
“We heard back from the Grade 6, 7 and 8 parents that they’re appreciative that we heard their comments and made that change,” Howitt tells The Independent. He added other parents also wanted to stay in the new part of the school as well, but it is just not possible.
The massive move is already underway. “We have movers booked for today, Friday and Saturday if needed,” says Howitt. “Everything that has been boxed up will be moved as will the desks and the chairs. The IT department is involved as well in moving the devices over. We may not have the Smart Boards ready for the first day but that’s part of the move as well,” says Howitt.
Parents and students can get a look at the new classrooms before classes begin Wednesday. Tours of East Lambton will be available Monday from 4 – 6:30pm and Lambton Centennial today 4-6:30 p, and Tuesday from 4- 5pm.
Parents also voiced concern at the public meeting that the board would upend the students on the word of one engineer. They’d asked for a second opinion. The director of education consulted the legal department and the joint health and safety committee.
“We have an engineer’s report and we must act on it,” says Howitt adding they are concerned if the roof did collapse, the board would be liable since it has an engineer’s report outlining the issue.
Howitt says Wellington Builders – the company contracted to repair the structure of the roof – were on site yesterday to figure out what needs to be done.
