Background

The Halifax Regional School Board (HRSB) believes in making every school a great school. Based on this strong dedication to the creation of great schools, the HRSB initiated a school facility planning process in 2007 titled, Imagine Our Schools.

Every school within the HRSB was involved in this innovative process. The initial phase, which was completed in April 2008, encompassed the following families of schools: Citadel, Dartmouth, Prince Andrew, Auburn and Cole Harbour.

Phase 2 took place during the 2008-2009 school year. Included were all remaining families of schools: Charles P. Allen, Duncan MacMillan, Eastern Shore District, Halifax West,  J.L. Ilsley, Lockview, Millwood, Musquodoboit Rural, Sir John A. Macdonald and Sackville.

Our Schools Today

The HRSB is experiencing the challenges of aging facilities, declining enrolments, unpredictable regional development, and limited funding. The effects are excess capacity in many of the board’s schools, overcrowding in others, and difficulty in properly providing school programming, modern technology, arts and music opportunities and physical activity options.

In short, the HRSB sought community-based input to help develop regional proposals for school facility needs. The outcome of all consultations will be the development of the 10-Year Facilities Master Plan. The Board will be considering a final 10-Year plan in April 2010.

Timeline

Phase 1: 2007-08

• Peninsula Halifax - Consisting of the 17 schools in the Citadel High School Family of Schools.
  
• Eastern Central HRM (Dartmouth, Cole Harbour, Prestons and Eastern Passage) - Consisting of the 44 schools in the Dartmouth High, Prince Andrew, Cole Harbour District and Auburn Drive High lFamilies of Schools.

Phase 2: 2008-09

• Central HRM - Consisting of the 24 schools in the Lockview, Millwood, and Sackville High Families of Schools.
  
• Eastern HRM - Consisting of the 13 schools in the Eastern Shore District, Duncan MacMillan and Musquodoboit Rural High Families of Schools.
  
• South Central HRM - Consisting of the 20 schools in the Charles P. Allen and Halifax West Families of Schools.
  
• South West HRM - Consisting of the 19 schools in the J. L. Ilsley and Sir John A. Macdonald Families of Schools.