School District #27 (SD27) trustees voted unanimously to pursue approval for a new elementary school in 100 Mile House at a closed board meeting on Feb. 24.
Trustees agreed to officially solidify their intention to replace 100 Mile House Elementary School and request consent from the Ministry of Education to construct a new school on the old Junior Secondary site.
Noting the replacement of this school has been on the five-year capital plan since 2001, SD27 board chair Tanya Guenther says it is time to get on with the project.
"It has been a long process ... and so we are excited to be at this point [where] we've received the updated Project Definition Report, which is required to submit it to the ministry, and so now we are ready to move forward.
"There were a couple of different options that were presented, and it wasn't a substantial cost difference between the two sites or between new-build and renovation potentials. The option the board went with was the recommendation to do a rebuild."
The third-party report goes along with any capital project sent to the ministry, and this one recommends the Junior Secondary site, she explains.
That is partly due to the ease of building on a property where a school is not in operation, but also because the current elementary school is located in more of a commercial, retail area while the Junior Secondary location is a bit more residential, she adds.
Guenther says the board will write Education Minister Peter Fassbender to request a review of SD27 funding and the application for this capital project, and also extend an invitation for him to visit the Cariboo-Chilcotin schools.
Another consideration trustees will look at down the road is a "neighbourhood of learning" concept with community use partnerships, such as with the Cariboo Regional District and Thompson Rivers University, she explains.
"Of course, the first step is getting the approval from the government."
However, when the trustees took the previous capital plan to the ministry last year, Guenther says it did not see a positive response.
"We were told not to submit requests for capital projects, as there was no funding. [But] at this point, we feel strongly this has been a priority for a very [long] time and we need to continue to press forward and try to secure funding."
The school board chair adds Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett has been supportive throughout the process so far in pleading its case to the ministry.
Barnett says she will continue to lobby for the project.
"I will totally be working and supporting their request to get funding for a new school.
"That school needs to be replaced, and it has been necessary for ... a long, long time. I certainly hope it comes to fruition."