Parents upset about secrecy over Moncton High

Some parents say there's too muchsecrecy surrounding health and safety concerns being raised at Moncton High School.

A group of about 30 parents met on Thursday night and asked for the school district to be more open with information.

The school was closed for six days in September after some steel pillars were discovered to be rusting away and work is still being done to deal with mould onthe ceilings.

Several teachers later submitted a letter claiming the 75-year-old building is causing them health problems.

The school district, WorkSafeNB, the Department of Education and the Department of Health investigated the teachers' concerns.

Karen Branscombe, the district superintendent, is refusing to say what contingency plans are in place to deal with the health and safety concerns raised by the teachers.

'The feeling now is we're not being told everything. We are out of the loop. We are totally in the dark. And these are our kids' lives that we are playing with.' Anne-Marie Picone Ford, parent

The parents say this is leading to all sorts of rumours.

Anne Marie Picone Ford, a spokesperson for the parents' group, said they are unsettled by the information that is being released by the school district.

"Especially when we hear the word contingency plan. That's not something that we brought up. That is something the district brought up. So as soon as you hear contingency plan, you know something is in the works," Picone Ford said.

"The feeling now is we're not being told everything. We are out of the loop. We are totally in the dark. And these are our kids' lives that we are playing with. The time has got to come that we have to get some frank, honest answers."

Picone Ford has a son and a daughter attending the aging school and she said the uncertainty is causing stress for the students.

There will be another public meeting next Wednesday night at Moncton High.

Picone Ford, who ran unsuccessfully as a Liberal candidate in the Sept. 27 election, said the parents' group will be inviting the local MLAs, new cabinet ministers, as well as district officials to that meeting.

Contingency plan

Noreen Bonnell, the co-president of the New Brunswick Teachers' Federation, said Moncton High School teachers are working with the district to find a solution to the mould and asbestos in the building.

"The best thing right now that could happen would be a thoughtful response that reflects all the concerns addressing pointedly their concerns and the state of Moncton High School," Bonnell said.

Bonnell said the district is working on a contingency plan that could be announced next week.

She said there's enough information for the next government to take quick action.

There have been roughly 250 repairs done over the past 18 months at Moncton High.

The district is waiting on a consultant's report to be released that will recommend whether the 75-year-old building should stay or go.

An earlier consultant's report from Ontario-based CS&P Architects said it could cost $48 million to bring the school up to building code, which is double the cost of building a new school.