Paradise mayor asks to meet Furey over decision to build school in Portugal Cove-St. Philip's

When 1,500 kidsboard buses in Paradise this September and head to high schools in Mount Pearl and Conception Bay South, Dan Bobbett will be shaking his head.

The town's mayor has spent more than a decade fighting for Paradise to have its own high school. It's the fastest growing municipality in the province, he argues, with over 21,000 people. More than 20 per cent of thepopulation is under the age of 14.

He's growing more frustrated each year, especially after seeing nearby Portugal Cove-St. Philip's get a new school, announced last year.

"The rationale was 300 children won't be bused to St. John's," Bobbett said. "Well, we're shaking our heads and saying why? Like you're not using the numbers, you're not using statistics, you're not using anything to make your decision. So tell us why."

That decision, and the recent announcement of a site selection for the new school, led Bobbett to write to Premier Andrew Furey, askingfor a meeting to explain the rationale and talk about the need for a high school in Paradise.

Bobbett said Furey responded and promised to set up a meeting between Paradise officials and the new education minister, Krista Lynn Howell.

Bobbett said he hopes to have the meeting soon.

Parents frustrated with commutes, class sizes

Several parents who spoke with CBC News described the problems their kids encounter from having to leave the house at 7 a.m. to make it to school in Conception Bay South, to concerns with overcrowding in schools that are taking in hundreds of kids from Paradise.

"They're all busting at the seams and experiencing high volumes, which then falls back on the children and their education," said Nadine Burke, a parent in Paradise.

Another parent in the community,Rhonda Yetman,agreed.

"It's a really big and growing community so I don't understand why they would have to leave their own community to go to another one for schooling," Yetman said."I think that they all should be able to remain in Paradise, in their own town."

Bobbettsaid his council members are unanimous in theirfrustrations with the lack of progress.

The Newfoundland and Labrador English School Districthas previously identified the new school in Paradise as a high priority in its capital management plan. Portugal Cove-St. Philip's wasn't even in the conversation, according to emails obtained by CBC News last year.

"[The new school] was not one of the three priorities we identified nor has there ever been an infrastructure request for a high school in PCSP," wrote district CEO Tony Stack in an email to deputy education ministerGreg O'Leary.

Ultimately, the provincial government opted to go against the recommendations of the school district.

The premier has drawn flak for the fact that he lives in Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, and it's possible his kids will go to the new school. His office has denied any conflict, saying, "Where the premier lives is completely irrelevant."

Bobbett said his advocacy is nothing against Portugal Cove-St. Philip's hejust wants a better explanation of why his town was skipped.

"A cabinet decision was made but no rationale was given," he said.

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