An early Christmas gift for the Town of Bridgewater.
Judge Mona Lynch granted the town a judicial review of the South Shore Regional School Board’s decision to send grade 10-12 students from Bridgewater Junior/Senior High School to Park View Education Centre as early as September 2017.
The school board was trying to have the town’s application for judicial review dismissed after it was received 1-4 days late.
Town solicitor, J.C. Reddy, says the argument proved to be irrelevant.
“There were two different views on whether or not the application was late or not. Ultimately, the chamber judge ruled the matter would proceed.”
The school board was also trying to dismiss a request for a judicial review because it felt the town didn’t have legal standing.
However, Lynch said the school board did not prove that standing should not be granted.
Reddy says the town was confident from the outset that they had standing to bring the issue forward and are pleased with the outcome.
The hearing lasted roughly four hours today in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Bridgewater.
A tentative date for a judicial review was set for March 3.
Meanwhile, it’s back to the drawing board for the South Shore Regional School Board.
Superintendent Scott Milner says a special meeting will need to be held to update members of the court’s decision and to decide next steps.
However, work continues to prepare students to move from Bridgewater to Park View.
“The transition process is still ongoing. We’ve been working behind the scenes on some of the steps. As you stated, work-to-rule is hindering some of that work but we’re doing what we can.”
A meeting date is not yet known but Milner adds, a meeting can be held at any time despite school’s closing Wednesday for Christmas break.
No costs have been released by the South Shore Regional School Board or Town of Bridgewater.
