Louisbourg group to pitch hub to save its school

Parents in Louisbourgwho aretrying to keep their P-8school off the closures list will make a pitch to the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board this week to create a hubschool.

The idea would be to renovateGeorge D. Lewis school, making itappealingto private interests looking for rentalspace whilemaking the building financially viable.

The school isone of 17 slated for closure, although it's not one of the handful that will be closed at the end of this school year.

Brett Hanham, vice-chair of the Hub School Society,said the group isconfident its plan will work.

"Staff space here, now becomes separate office space with a separate entrance on the side," he said.

Paying customers

Hanham said the Cape Breton Regional Municipality,the International Centre for English Academic Preparation, Cape Breton University and Parks Canadahave all expressed an interest in leasing space at a reconfigured school.

He said the idea of a summer youth hostel has been floated, as well as community cooking and computer classes.Hanham said the group isalso considering a daycare idea.

The deadline for the idea to be presented to the school board is Wednesday.

Independent review planned

School superintendentBeth MacIsaac said the board will hirea consultant to conduct an independent reviewof the plan.

MacIsaac said it's not possible to sayhow long the review will take or when a final decision mightbe made.

Brett Hanham saidbecause of the reviewthe board has not chosen a date for closing George D.Lewis.

That means the group has timeto continue to working toward the goal of taking the school off the closure list altogether.