Regina school to close due to 'structural concerns'

Holy Rosary Community School will be closing its doors due to structural concerns.
A letter was sent to the Ministry of Education as part of the school board’s Major and Minor Capital Funding and Projects Submission highlighting the need for a rebuild.
It was voted on at Monday night’s school board meeting.
“The foundation of this building is seriously compromised despite the current remedial structural work. This school has an inevitable end of life date,” read the proposal.
Holy Rosary School began construction in 1914, with additions in 1928 and 1971.
Regina Catholic School Division provided notice to parents regarding the closure on Tuesday.
Ryan Lauf, a parent of two boys at the school, said his children are upset about the news.
“[My eldest] has developed friendships along the way that are continuing to grow and he’s quite sad that the school’s closing and he’s going to lose his friends,” he said.
“As far as being parents, we love the school because of the smaller class sizes it has. We feel that the kids are getting a better education, they get more one-on-one time with the teachers than they would in some of the other schools.”
Twylla West, communications and media co-ordinator for Regina Catholic Schools, said that while staff were hanging signage on part of the building last summer, the structural issues were revealed.
“[An engineering firm] revealed that, very plainly, the original building for Holy Rosary School has reached the end of its useful life,” she said.
“It was a bit of a tough day at the school [Wednesday] I think, a very emotional day because it’s not what everybody wanted to hear.”
The engineering firm provided three years as a timeline for closure. However, the school will officially close by the end of June of 2024.
“We don’t want to risk anybody so we are being very conservative with the timeline to make sure that we’re not compromising anybody’s safety,” West said.
The school division will consult with families at a private meeting to gather feedback and guidance on determining next steps.
“Our main focus right now is just taking care of the students and what they need and what their families need. It’s a really important community to Regina Catholic Schools, staff, the students, and the families, and it has been for over 100 years.”
“After that, we’ll be able to look at more big picture pieces but we want to take care of them first.”
--With files from CTV News Regina's Katy Syrota
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Everything is interwoven': Trudeau and Biden vow continued Canada-U.S. collaboration during historic visit
U.S President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have announced updates on a number of cross-border issues, after a day of meetings on Parliament Hill.

Asylum seeker deal between U.S. and Canada won't stop drama at border, advocates say
The new asylum seeker agreement between Canada and the United States will not deter migrants from trying to cross into Canada outside official ports of entry, Quebec immigration advocacy groups say.
Scientists say they've solved the mystery of cigar-shaped comet 'Oumuamua
Scientists now say they know outerspace object ‘Oumuamua is, and the answer is more simple than some previous theories have suggested.
'A riot of colours' and 'stunning views' can be found in Canada's national parks. Here's where to go this summer
This past week, Parks Canada opened up its reservation system for the 2023 season, offering places to stay, hikes to take and national historic sites to visit across the country. According to three experts, here's where to travel this summer.
Incredible photos show northern lights dancing across much of Canada
Sky-gazers and shutterbugs across much of Canada were treated to a spectacular display of northern lights Thursday night and into Friday morning.
W5 | Comedian Russell Peters doesn't pull punches in climate of 'cancel culture,' 'political correctness'
CTV W5 speaks with members of the comedy industry, including Russell Peters, for a wide-ranging look at how political correctness and 'cancel culture' has changed the world of stand-up comedy.
Ontario woman kicks off 'long shot' search for wedding dress after dad mistakenly donates it
A woman in southern Ontario is making a plea to the public and kicking off a "long shot" search for her wedding dress after her father accidentally donated it earlier this year.
Most Canadians believe speeding tickets should be tied to income: poll
A new survey conducted by Research Co. found that the majority of Canadians support tying speeding tickets to income, otherwise known as ‘progressive punishment.’
Trudeau says his kids 'no longer access' TikTok after Canadian government ban
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's teenage daughter and son, Ella-Grace and Xavier, 'no longer access TikTok,' the father of three told reporters during a joint press conference with U.S. President Joe Biden in Ottawa on March 24.