Lutsel K'e, N.W.T. calls emergency meeting over displaced students

The community of Lutsel K'e, N.W.T., heldan emergency meeting Monday to discuss the fate of its displaced studentsafter all but giving up on the idea that the NWT government will include them in discussions.

Close to 40 elementary school students had to leave Lutsel K'e Dene School on Thursday. Sept. 8, after mould was discovered by construction crews doing renovations.

• School in Lutselk'e, N.W.T., evacuated due to mould

• LutselK'eDeneSchool renovation will restore library, brighten classrooms

Representatives from the GNWT met with the community the following day.

"They came in and said they didn't really know what was going to happen. They said maybe the school could be renovated faster, or maybe it would have to be torn down and rebuilt," says Stephanie Poole, a member of the community's district education authority.

"They promised to continue meeting with us every Friday, keeping us up to date on the results of the mould samples.... and how all this would affect the the renovations of the school."

According to Poole, the GNWT has not fulfilled its promise and community members are desperately searching for answers.

"They haven't hadany more meetings with us, and they aren't sharing information with us."

'A really terrible situation'

Since construction workers discovered the mould, students have been attending class in different buildings across the community.

"Our [40] elementary students are in Aurora College, so no adult education can go on, and they're also in the arena foyer," says Poole

High school students are continuing to attend classes at the Denesuline building as well at the old Aurora College building, where they had already been placed because of the renovations.

• Makeshift classrooms found for students inLutselK'e displaced by mould

"The high school students are not happy with it at all, and it's affecting their attendance," she says.

"It's a really terrible situation. All the high school parents are actively trying to figure out ways to send their children out to high school."

Poole says she's worried about the message the whole situation is sending to students.

"It's important for our students to feel like they're important, to feel like their education is important, and to keep the continuity of their school setting instead of being displaced all over the community."

'Nobody trusts the government now'

Poole says the community has been lobbying the GNWT to bring up modular classrooms for its high school students for months, but says now the community wants the government to bring up modular classrooms for every student to use.

"Nobody trusts the government now, and no parent is going to put their child back in that school until it's renovated or rebuilt."

Poole says the community has even discussed "pooling resources, getting a barge and portable units itself, and maybe invoicing the government or launching a class-action lawsuit."

She says those are just some of the topics on the agenda for today's meeting, which startsat 3:30 p.m. at the community hall.

The GNWT has told CBC it will provide a spokesperson to comment on the situation.