Architectural designs unveiled for Hanwell's new school
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development unveiled architectural drawings for a new school in Hanwell on Monday for parents to see.
The new K-8 school will accommodate up to 650 students. It will feature 36 classrooms, an early childhood room, an outdoor learning area, two gyms,music rooms, a performing arts room, technology labs and science rooms, art rooms, and open project work areas for groups.
But, Patti Tinholt, a mother of five who lives in Hanwell, isn't entirely happy with what she saw.
Tinholt said she was hoping to see a garden area and more indoor and outdoor play areas for children included in the school.
"Instead I'm seeing a lot of forest cut down and a landscaped playground without shade," Tinholt said.
"I'm disappointed. It's not what I was looking for."
Tinholt was planning on sending her elementary-aged children to the new school, but now she's not so sure.
"I was really excited about the future of education, doing something special and amazing, and this isn't it."
Tinholt said she has spoken with other parents who were hoping to see the same amenities included, but she hasn't brought her concerns to government yet. She's hopeful the government will decide to make changes to the outdoor education space to include gardening and an environmentalism program.
"Obviously they're not going to change the architecture of the building, but there's still so much more that could be done to make this a school of the future."
Education Minister Dominic Cardy said the new school will feature more open spaces and is "a school fit for 2020."
"The interior design is really impressive, certainly nothing like the schools I went to in Fredericton," Cardy said.
The school will be built this spring on a lot that has already been staked out. It's next door to the community centre on Hanwell Road. The tendering process isn't complete yet.
The new school will displace a couple of existing trails in Hanwell, but new trails will be added.
"The students will be able to go out and use the trail network, the woods," Cardy said, adding the school will have lots of green space, which could include a garden area if the student's desired one.
"That's one of the advantages of having it in a large green area."
The government decided to build a new school in Hanwell to help ease overcrowding at Fredericton-area schools. Modular classrooms make up about 19 per cent of all class spaces in the Fredericton area, and about 450 students from Hanwell are bused to and from Fredericton for classes. The bus trip from Hanwell to Fredericton can take 30 to 60 minutes per trip.
"We were seeing a massive increase in student numbers and we were seeing a shortage around the Fredericton region of five schools," Cardy said.
"It was long overdue."
The school is expected to open in January, 2022.
About $3-million was earmarked for the school in the 2019-20 provincial capital budget for the site selection, planning and design changes.
