Moncton High closed over safety concerns

Moncton High School is being closed for the rest of the week as the 75-year-old facilityundergoes repairs on six structural columns thatbecame corroded.

Karen Branscombe, the District 2 superintendent, notified students and parents that the school was being closed for one day on Monday. But on Monday afternoon, the school district extended the closure for the rest of the week.

Although the 1,300 students will miss a week of classes, Branscombe said the lessons will be made up without extending the school year.

The structural work is estimated to cost $50,000, after engineersdiscovered corrosion on some of the support columns. Raine Lawrence, a consulting engineer, saidcorrosion was found during the weekend in six columns, and three of thosehave severe damage.

Lawrence said drainage issues led to the problem.

"The building is getting near the end of its lifespan. It's like I always use the analogy, it's like an old car and we more or less found a fender that's got a hole in it. So now we're going to patch it, so we're going to have to monitor the building and keep an eye on it," Lawrence said.

The district and the Department of Education had ordered the inspection. Branscombe said in a news release that earlier work showedadditional investigation was needed in part of the building.That followup check happened last week and over the weekend.

"The safety of our students and staff is our first priority so we are choosing to err on the side of caution until the investigation is completed and we have all the necessary facts to make informed decisions," Branscombe said earlyMonday.

Replace or renovate?

Theschool district has spent more than a year reviewing options on what to do with the school eitherclose it and replace it witha new building or refurbish the existing structure.

Ontario-based CS&P Architects said it could cost $48 million to bring the school up to building code. Many new schools are expected to have a life of 30 years.

Moncton High School first opened to students in 1935. Some of its rooms now are closed because they don't meet modern fire codes. Its roofing, flooring and walls need to be replaced, and upgrades have to be made to the attic and exterior stone walls, according to a 2009 architect'sreport. In addition, plaster walls containing asbestos have to be removed.

The building, known for its Gothic exterior, features three storeys of sandstone, arched bays and massive wooden doors.