Saint John council will send a letter to the premier asking for the province to fund community hubs in two new schools.
In December, the province announced plans to build new schools in the north end and central peninsula, which are set to open in the fall of 2026.
A new K-8 school in the Rainbow Park area of the central peninsula will replace Prince Charles and St. John the Baptist/King Edward schools.
The province has yet to announce the location of a new K-5 school in the north end that will replace Hazen White-St. Francis and Centennial schools.
The existing schools have a community hub model which brings additional early learning, after-school, parenting support and poverty reduction programming into the schools.
It is seen as a unique and critical approach for these communities, where poverty rates are well above the provincial average.
But those programs could be in jeopardy after councillors were told the Department of Education does not fund additional space for this type of programming and services.
“There’s a different reality that these children are facing in our neighbourhoods, unfortunately, so there’s additional support that’s needed,” David Dobbelsteyn, acting director of growth and community planning, told council Monday night.
Impact of no community hubs
Dobbelsteyn said not building any hubs in the new schools would create a “significant social cost” to the communities they serve.
At least 110 existing early learning centre spaces would be lost, along with the South End Community Centre, programming space, and an after-school program for 30 kids.
Staff presented two options to council: maintaining the status quo at a cost of $9 million, or building expanded hubs at a cost of $14 million.
Council unanimously endorsed the expanded hubs to increase the number of early learning centre spaces to 226, add 60 more after-school program spaces, grow the South End Community Centre, and add programming space in both neighbourhoods.
Funding for that will have to be sought through other government departments or the community at large, according to staff.
Council also voted to send a letter to the premier asking the province to finance and build the community hubs due to the “unique needs children and families face in Saint John.”
“This is not precedent-setting,” said Dobbelsteyn, referencing 2021 census data which showed one in two children in these neighbourhoods live in poverty, compared to the provincial average of three in 20.
‘It’s not on us to make a decision’: councillor
Coun. David Hickey said he is frustrated that the city and community would have to secure funding for these hubs.
“It’s not on us to make a decision on what model they want to endorse. If they don’t want to take the community hub model then they should bare the consequences as such,” said Hickey.
Coun. Brent Harris asked what would happen if the city committed to the hubs but could not get funding right away.
Brent McGovern, the city’s chief administrative officer, said there is no money that needs to move forward this year.
“There is time within the provincial budgeting process to ensure that the funds are allocated in 2024 through 2026 when the school is being constructed,” said McGovern.
“As long as a decision is made in short order to support the growth model then they can move forward with design and the funding can be allocated by the province to ensure that this construction happens.”
Statement from the education minister
New Brunswick’s education minister hinted Wednesday at possible government funding for a community hub at the new central peninsula school.
Bill Hogan said the province looks forward to collaborating with the city to create a “targeted high-priority community strategy” to support the Central Peninsula Community Hub.
Hogan described the model as a “first-of-its-kind pilot opportunity to address community building and the wrap-around support services that are crucial in high-priority neighbourhoods.”
The strategy, he said, would provide funding to work in partnership with government departments, municipalities and community partners to “delivery key interventions that will generate invaluable education and social outcomes and support population growth for one of the province’s hardest-hit neighbourhoods.”
Hogan made no mention of the new north end school in his statement sent to reporters.