Families, politicians frustrated by delays around north end school replacement

A Halifax MLA and a city councillor say the way that students at St. Joseph’s-Alexander McKay Elementary (SJAM) are being treated is “unacceptable.”

Virginia Hinch, councillor for District 8 in north-end Halifax, says she has received numerous complaints from her constituents regarding the delays to the new school. So has Halifax-Needham MLA Suzy Hansen.

The original SJAM school in the north end closed in summer 2021, in order to be demolished and replaced with a newer building on the same site on Russell Street. Since then, students have been bused to the former École Beaufort school on Walnut Street in the south end.

After several delays, the new school was slated to open in September 2025. In June, parents were informed that the school wouldn’t open until the middle of the 2025-26 school year.

Two months into the school year, there is still no firm date for when the new school will open, according to Department of Public Works spokesperson Gary Andrea.

Families are frustrated by the lack of communication.

Families in the dark

“It is totally unacceptable the way that they have treated our kids,” said Hinch.

“[As] city councillors, we want to stay in our lane, we don’t want to disrespect the province. But unfortunately, the province is just not doing what they need to do to represent the north end as far as I’m concerned.”

Families are struggling to get firm answers from Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) and the province.

“The communication has been very poor. Multiple times we’ve had to go to the media and get that push to be able to get information from the province,” says parent Jamesie Coolican.

Coolican has two children, one of whom was meant to be the second graduating class from the new school. Instead, she graduated at the Beaufort location. Her second child is now in Grade 6.

Coolican says the distance between the current SJAM and the north end is a challenge.

“It’s had a big impact on the families being able to connect with the school, because there’s a lot of families who never go down to where the school is,” says Coolican.

Bernadette Johnson moved with her family to Halifax this summer, and chose a house in the north end specifically because of the school. “We had heard a lot of great things about SJAM.”

She has two children. Her daughter, Georgette, is in Grade 2 at the school.

She says that when she moved, she was told the school would be open in September. She only found out differently a couple weeks before school started.

The biggest issue for her family is transportation.

Buses are often late in the morning, according to both Johnson and Coolican.

“They’re never on time for pickup, and they’re 15 minutes late or more,” said Johnson.

Buses have been upwards of 45 minutes late in the morning, according to a log of late notices Johnson provided.

Hansen hears the same complaints from constituents.

“Parents are frustrated. The busing company is not being held accountable. (They are) basically saying, ‘Oh, well, if it’s 20 minutes late, we’re really not late.’ And that’s unacceptable too.”

Because of long bus rides home, Johnson said students have also lost access to after-school programming and clubs.

“It’s heartbreaking because … this is their community. That’s their community school and they’re being bused outside … and it plays a toll on every single one of us, as parents, as students,” said Hansen.

“We deserve better and there’s no excuse for why this is happening. They can do better and they choose not to.”

Province, school board mum on dates

An auditor general’s report released in June on school capital planning acknowledged “significant” construction delays on the school, and noted that only 51 per cent of the budget for the school’s construction had been spent.

John Rhynold, senior project superintendent for Marco Group, the construction company responsible for the build, refused comment.

“We are very disappointed that the new SJAM school was not ready to welcome students at the start of the 2025-26 school year,” Andrea wrote in a statement to The Signal.

“However, we are not willing to compromise on providing a 100 per cent complete and safe facility that provides the learning experience Nova Scotians deserve.

“Public Works is working closely with contractors and has been assured the school community will be able to move into the new school midway through the 2025-26 school year. We have added more trades workers and contractors, and we have asked them to work overtime and on weekends to get the school open as quickly as possible.”

Hansen said she’s heard the same from the department. “I think that is a true testament to the lack of transparency and accountability,” she says.

Neither the Department of Education nor Steve Gallagher, regional executive director for HRCE, responded in time for publication.