The New Westminster school board is looking for one thing – an update from the province as to when exactly the much-awaited high school replacement project will get the green light.

In a Feb. 19 letter to Minister Mike Bernier, board chair Jonina Campbell expressed concerns regarding missed deadlines for New Westminster Secondary’s replacement.

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“I think that we all agree that our students deserve to go to a school that is safe and clean,” Campbell wrote in her letter to Bernier. “One that meets seismic standards and is designed to meet the needs of 21st century learners.”

The district had anticipated the province would give the project final approval last fall, however, during a tour of the high school in December, Bernier told the Record the project had been delayed and that approval would come “early in the new year.”

Well, that too has come and gone, Campbell told the Record, adding that in January she contacted Bernier directly but still didn’t get a firm date for approval. This is problematic because without approval from the province, the project can’t move forward, Campbell said.

The district had expected it would begin work on the replacement high school project this year, but this delay means staff and students at NWSS will continue in limbo for the time being, Campbell said.