It will take some time before the fate of Petite Riviere Elementary School is known.
Justice Christa Brothers did not make a decision in Halifax Supreme Court yesterday during the judicial review between the Greater Petite Area Community Association and South Shore Regional School Board.
The school has faced pending closure since a 2013 decision by the board.
Brian Casey represented the association and argued that decision was conditional on a motion that stated the school would only close if a new school were built.
Casey says the board’s decision in March of this year to set a closure date of July 31, 2018 did not follow the school review process.
School Board lawyer John MacPherson says a full school review in 2013 determined Petite Riviere Elementary would close in five years and the board merely set a date in March to discontinue school use.
MacPherson says the board also requested a new school in 2013, 2014 and 2016 but were unsuccessful.
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg joined the judicial review as an intervenor and lawyer J.C Reddy says the decision to close the school was improper because amendments to the school review policy were made by government in 2014.
Reddy says the municipality would inherit the building if the school closes causing a heavy burden.
He says a school closure would have economic and social impacts and deter people from moving to the area.
The judge will render a decision in the next few weeks.
