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
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Biscuits with possible plastic pieces, metal found in ground pork: Here are the recalls for this week
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.