The heavy shooters were brought in for the latest Derby School Accommodation Review Committee meeting as challenges were issued at the cost of fixing up Derby school along with the need for closure altogether.
No less than seven speakers had their say in Keady on Monday night as a little under a hundred spectators listened.
The speakers ranged from Superior Court Judge Clayton Conlan to West Grey Chief Building Official Brian Marcell and Georgian Bluffs land use planner Clinton Stredwick.
All challenged the economics of fixing up the school, to the economics of the Kilsyth area should the school close.
Brian Marcell says the school is just fine being of wood construction although board officials have suggested otherwise.
Marcell says the size of the school as it stands, meets the building code and does not have to be constructed of non-combustible materials such as concrete blocks.
He says he also challenges the square footage costs the board has been quoting of over 200-dollars a square foot.
Marcell notes there has been significant similar construction in West Grey, such as a Catholic school renovation, a hospital renovation and a new medical clinic constructed and the costs were a lot lower than those being quoted by the board for Derby school repairs.
In a presentation at the the January 28th meeting the board stated there was no money to rebuild Derby school, nor was there sufficient funds to cover the 6.1-million dollar backlog in school repairs.
The school is also at 77 per cent of its 273-student capacity, which initially triggered the review as it’s less than 80 per cent.
Clinton Stredwick says close the school and you might as well close Kilsyth.
He says several developers have expressed an interest to Georgian Bluffs in building homes in the Kilsyth area but that may or may not occur if the school is boarded up.
In addition, he says according to Statistics Canada, there could be a stable period of growth in population coming to the area which could fill the school.
ARC chair Julie Gorman stuck to her guns as well saying the school will not close because there is a great community spirit working together to keep it open.
Gorman says even the Director of Education John Bryant admitted it was an awesome community.
She says considering his experience and position, you have to believe what he says about the make-up of the community.
The next ARC meeting will be a working one with no public input on Monday, March 25th at 6 PM.
