Big Tancook Island school to stay open with 2 students registered next year

Big Tancook Island residents learned Wednesdaythe community's one school will remain open, even though only two students are registered for next year.

A vote by the South Shore Regional School Board members at an afternoon meeting ended in a tie, which meant the motion to close the school was defeated.

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"They really took into consideration all the factors involved. I think some of them have voted on dollars, but some really considered what it meant to the child," said TyroneMcLean,the father of one of thestudents starting at the school in September.

"I'm really happy. Everybody did their work and it's turned out."

There is one teacher for the one-room school, but residents saidmore than education depends on the school staying open.

Prior to the vote, residents saidBig Tancook's future was at risk because if the school closed, people wouldleave andno one will move to the island, which has about 100 full-time residents.

'Part of our heritage'

"It's like having my son go to private school, the student-to-teacher ratio is justphenomenal. You can't even buy that unless you go to a private tutor," said Pierre Moncion, an island resident, ahead of Wednesday's vote.

"It's pretty much the last school of its kind."

HillaryDionne, whoattended the school, called the school the "heart of our community."

"It's part of our heritage, I can't imagine not having the little school here," she said.

"We have some toddlers on the island that would be up and comers here and I think even if there's just one child here, the safety of that child getting to the school in Chester, it's an issue."

50-minute ferry ride to closest mainland school

The South Shore Regional School Board hadset up a committee to examine the future of the school, given its dwindling enrolment.Last month, the committeerecommended it be kept open.

The only other option would have beenfor studentsto take a 50-minute ferry ride to attend school in Chester, the nearest mainland community.

The elementary school in Chester starts at 8 a.m. To get there on time from the island, a student would have to get on the Tancook ferry for its first run of the day, which is at 6 a.m.