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Barr Colony School will be closing after serving the community for 46 years.
The Lloydminster Public School Division Board (LPSD) of Education has decided to repurpose the school and close it at the end of June 2024.
Barr Colony currently enrolls 274 students.
The Board made the decision during its regular meeting on Dec. 13 after reviewing information from the Nov. 22 meeting and multiple school stakeholder engagements.
“This decision was not made lightly, and the Board recognizes the impact it will have on the Barr Colony School students, families, and the community as a whole,” said the Board in a statement.
The Board chose to repurpose the viable sections of the Barr Colony School building for use by Avery School.
The section identified as needing complete remediation will be closed.
The Board said the LPSD will continue to monitor air quality to ensure the safety of the building until it closes.
“We want to emphasize that this decision was reached after an examination of the feasibility study, current utilization rates, remediation and maintenance costs analysis and the concerns we received from the school community,” said the Board.
Previously, the Board had determined the five-year deferred maintenance cost for Barr Colony is more than $3.7 million.
The Board says the strategic decision was made for the long-term sustainability of the LPSD.
Information about the decision was shared with Barr Colony staff and families at the conclusion of the meeting.
“Our commitment to our students’ education and well-being remains unwavering,” said the Board.
The Board says they are now focused on providing support and guidance to all the Barr Colony families and the community as it navigates the next steps.
The Board stated, “We are committed to making informed, responsible, and equitable decisions that align with our commitment to providing quality education while being fiscally responsible. We thank all those impacted by this situation for their patience and understanding.”
