Grade 9 to 12 students in Parry Sound will begin the year remotely, until the existing Parry Sound High School building is ready to accommodate staff and students.
That’s according to Near North District School Board officials, who released an updated contingency plan on Sept. 26.
The detailed document states that demolition of the existing Parry Sound High School was broken into two phases. To facilitate the construction of the temporary parking lots, bus loop and fire emergency routing for the new JK-12 school, the one-storey section of PSHS was removed. According to Board officials the demolition “was completed in a controlled manner to maintain the functionality of he remaining portion.” Asbestos abatement was also completed in the area subject to demolition.
Officials say, following demolition, the Board received a structural report from an licensed engineer stating that the remaining structure has not be compromised and remains safe for occupancy. However, there is a small checklist that needs to be completed before the building is ready to receive staff and students, including the final inspection of the fire safety system, and indoor air quality testing. Exactly how long this will take to complete isn’t known.
“A remote learning plan has been established by our IT and Program teams to make sure that staff, students, and families can smoothly adjust to remote learning,” states a post on the NNDSB website. “A technology request form was sent to families of Grade 9-12 students in the current PSHS building on Aug. 25 to inventory and prepare devices.”
On Sept. 2, Kindergarten to Grade 6 students will attend McDougall Public School and Grade 7 and 8 students will attend Nobel Public School, until the new K-12 super school is completed.
“At this time, NNDSB is unsure of the date on which the new Parry Sound JK-12 school will be ready to receive students,” states the updated contingency plan. “NNDSB is waiting for confirmation of the building completion date. We will update families, staff, and other stakeholders as soon as we have meaningful information to share.”
