Table the School Site Selection Process - Question Period

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. In response to a Freedom of Information request, we have learned that as recently as last year the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal was using a manual for school site selection that was last updated in 1999.

The correspondence in the FOI reveals a general state of confusion about how to proceed with new school builds. A February 2019 email from the Director of Education Facilities Project Services says: TIR will assist in any way we can, but need to have direction on the general area within which we are to search for an appropriate site.

Will the minister commit to tabling a new school site selection process before the end of this sitting?

HON. ZACH CHURCHILL « » : Of course, I am happy to do that. As I mentioned before, the new site selection process is going to help us streamline this so we don't have schools built late and can mitigate risks of having extensions to the construction season. We want to make sure that we focus on the technical evaluation first, before we go to the community for feedback, because we don't believe it's fair, and it has also created some delays when the community is discussing sites that are potentially viable.

That's why we're doing the technical engineering evaluation first. We do believe this will help us improve that process to get our schools built on time for our communities.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : I look forward to seeing the new process. In the same FOI package, Mr. Speaker, there is an email about a meeting of staff from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and TIR with the member for Bedford, about the siting of a P-9 school. The email states: At the end of the conversation, the agreement was that we have two basic potential approaches.

Can the member confirm if the new school site selection process includes consultation with all MLAs or only members of the government caucus?

ZACH CHURCHILL « » : Mr. Speaker, the new process will ensure public consultation at large. I can table a document that highlights the differences between the old process and the new, and why we believe we can save some time. It's very practical.

Before we go to the community with potential sites, we want to make sure those sites are viable, safe, and that we can service them with power, water and busing routes before we engage the community in conversation. That's the responsible, appropriate thing to do, and we believe that it can enhance this process and improve it and that there are schools built more quickly and on time.

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth East.