Pontmain School in Trochu is for sale and Golden Hills School Division is waiting for provincial funding to modernize the town’s main school or build a new school.
Modernization of Trochu Valley School has been a priority for the division for a few years. Valley School took in most of the town’s students last September after the division closed Pontmain School.
Pontmain, an small, aging school that also needed modernization, was full with about 100 Grades 1-3 students.
“It just made sense to consolidate at the larger school, bring up that utilization rate, and hopefully make it a higher priority for modernization funds,” said superintendent Dianne McBeth.
Kindergarten classes are held at Trochu Valley Outreach School, a former school division administration building.
Trochu has about 340 kindergarten to Grade 12 students.
The cost of major renovations to Trochu Valley School was pegged at $8 million in 2006.
McBeth said the school may qualify for a new building because the cost of modernizing is between 65 and 75 per cent of the cost of a new school.
The school division is accepting tenders from people to purchase Pontmain School and the school site, which is three acres.
“There is a land value there. But the facility itself would take a significant investment. It’s worn out.”
Profits from the sale would be put into the division’s capital reserve fund.
Pontmain School opened in 1912 as a Catholic school. Due to declining enrolment, it became part of Three Hills School Division in 1969.
The current building, constructed in 1959, was originally a four-classroom school. Two more classrooms were added in 1966, with another addition in 1988.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com