sacred heart schoolTwo options are on the table for English catholic schools in Timmins.

Both would spell the end of a long-standing school.

Sacred Heart School—an 80-year old building—doesn’t look to be part of any plans going forward from the Accommodations Review Committee (ARC) doing the review into the six buildings controlled by the Northeast Catholic District School Board (NCDSB).

At a meeting Wednesday night, the ARC outlined the options.

The first is a new dual-track (English/French immersion combined) school from full-day Kindergarten to Grade 5 at the ACCESS Centre (old Queen Elizabeth Public School on Birch North).

NCDSB Director of Education Glenn Sheculski says that would require them to knock down the old building, and build a brand new school on the site.

Sheculski adds the board would need to apply for funding from the Ministry to go towards that new infrastructure.

The second option is to turn St. Paul School into a dual-track school from full-day kindergarten to Grade 4.

“We seem to have the space there for it,” Sheculski says of Option 2.

Grades 5-6 would be sent over to O’Gorman Intermediate School along with the Grades 7-8 students already there.

The closure of Sacred Heart isn’t official, and may not even happen according to Sheculski.  He says the school board trustees could vote to stay status quo, or explore other options that the ARC haven’t presented.

A delegation from Sacred Heart presented Wednesday night as well, a pitch to keep the school open.

Sheculski says some parents are against having the dual-track schools, because they believe the full French immersion school is better off for kids who won’t have to speak English during the school day and be immersed in the French language.

A final decision on this is expected sometime in May.