Paradise school site coming ‘by end of month’
By Mark Squibb
It was back-to-school for kids and teachers across the province this month, including in Paradise, where over 1,500 students are bused outside the community to neighbouring schools each morning.
The Province committed to building Paradise a high school of its own in March of this year after years of delays and amid growing demands from residents, council, and Opposition members alike.
At the time, government promised the next steps— including site selection, design and configuration — would begin “in the coming months.”
Following an information request by The Shoreline last week, the Department of Transportation indicated by email that the fall of 2027 has been set as the anticipated completion date for the school.
Mayor Dan Bobbett and members of staff recently met with Minister of Transportation Fred Hutton, and the topic of the new school was on the agenda.
Bobbett, during last week’s public meeting, said Town staff and provincial staff are working hand-in-hand to select a site for the new school, and hope to reach a decision by the end of the month. The Department also confirmed that site selection should be completed by the end of the month.
Bobbett added that town staff and government staff are working together to draft a request for proposals for a new transportation route in-and-out of Paradise to help address heavy congestion along Topsail Road.
Meanwhile, Topsail – Paradise MHA Paul Dinn, who is the PC Shadow Minister for Education, recently criticized the Furey government for failing to make progress on the high school.
“For years, a high school in Paradise topped the English School District’s capital works list. In 2015, the PC government announced funding for the school in its budget, only to see the Liberal government defer the project indefinitely after taking office in November 2015,” said Dinn. “The community of Paradise rallied in response, coming together to lobby the government on the urgent need for the new school. With a strong, united effort by the community, the government finally had no choice but to include the Paradise high school in Budget 2024.”
Dinn added that just hours before the House of Assembly opened in March, the Furey government held a media event in Paradise with MP Ken McDonald, and ministers Krista Howell, Sarah Stoodley, John Abbott, Fred Hutton, and Mayor Bobbett, all praising the inclusion of the high school in the budget.
“At the time, I saw this as nothing more than a photo op to silence the community,” Dinn said. “My suspicions were confirmed when the budget revealed only a single line item with a paltry allocation of $50,000.”
Dinn said he has asked numerous questions in the House of Assembly and through the estimates process, seeking more detailed information and timelines for the high school’s development.
“It is unacceptable that six months have passed, and with the start of another school year upon us, there is still no progress to report,” Dinn said. “Issues such as overcrowding, busing, violence, teacher vacancies, and accessibility should have been addressed over the summer break, yet there has been no planning whatsoever.”