Some J. H. Sissons parents concerned about losing their school

Some parents with children at J. H. Sissons school in Yellowknife are concerned about the possibility of losing their school.

In June, the YK1 Facilities Committee recommended the school board close one of its schools. The committee was formed after the territorial government asked the public board to give one of its five elementary schools to the French School Board.

The 40-year-old Sissons school was chosen because it needs millions of dollars in repairs.

At a meeting last night, parents came out to ask questions about the proposal.

Tania Hercun, who has two children at Sissons, says if the school were to close, she would consider moving.

“We bought specifically in this neighbourhood so they could walk to school and so they could do their elementary schooling here at Sissons.”

Others see some possible benefits.

“If we look at this as a way to perhaps save some money and invest that very strategically, especially in the arts, I think we can come out ahead,” said Amy Hendricks, who also has two children at the school.

The school board says so far no decision has been made to close any school.

It will meet next week to discuss the recommendations put forward by facilities committee.

It hopes to have a decision sometime in December of this year.

It’s still not clear whether the Francophone school board would accept the school.

The N.W.T. government proposed the idea as an alternative to building an expansion onto Yellowknife’s existing francophone school, as it was ordered to do by the courts in 2012.

The territory’s Supreme Court heard the government’s appeal of that decision in March.

So far, no decision has been released.