Worry has turned to relief for residents in the Norton area over the fate of their local elementary school.
Officials found water damage on some exterior walls of Norton Elementary School over the summer months.
The 100 or so students who attend the school are currently being bussed to Sussex Elementary School.
The mayor of Valley Waters. which includes Norton, expressed concern about a lack of information being shared.
RELATED: Norton Elementary students to begin school year in Sussex
Randy McKnight said he has since been told repairs should be completed this fall, with students expected to return to the school after Christmas.
“It is a cornerstone of the community. It’s required for us to grow the community and have young families move to the community. We need that school, the school is vital,” McKnight told our newsroom.
“Making these repairs now removed the need for more difficult decisions to be made in the future.”
The 75-year-old school was on the chopping block during a sustainability study by the Anglophone South School District in 2015.
Ultimately, district education council members voted four to five against a motion to close the K-5 school.
McKnight said unprecedented population growth in the province has resulted in increased enrollment in all areas, requiring schools to remain open.
“To see it open again will be a relief for the whole community,” he added.
