An aging elementary school in Strathcona County where lead has been found in drinking water and mould discovered in portable classrooms is facing possible closure.

Trustees with the Elk Island public school board voted in December to consider the possibility of closing Ministik School, which is 30 kilometres east of Sherwood Park on Highway 14.

Public meetings will be held at the school on Feb. 7 and Feb. 15. Parents and other community members will get information and be asked for their questions and feedback.

Provincial rules dictate that if the board makes a final decision to close Ministik, the closure would happen by the end of the current school year. Students would be transferred to other schools in the division.

Ministik, which has 125 students this year, was built in 1951. Its portable classrooms are 41 years old.

Last August, an inspection revealed lead in one of the drinking fountains in the main building. A daily flushing routine has been used to ensure the lead in the water reaches acceptable levels.

In that same inspection, water damage and mould was found in some of the portables. A school report says those areas are currently contained.

Mould was found in some of the portable classrooms in August. (Supplied)

As of Jan. 20, the provincial government approved a request to replace the school's three portable classrooms.

Replacing the main building would cost $3.5 million in repairs, Elk Island Public Schools says in a report.

Elk Island public superintendent Mark Ligouri said the identified issues and the aging infrastructure are not the only reasons the school is facing possible closure.

"All of our division's school operations take a look at that on an annual basis," Ligouri said. "We look at things like student enrolment, infrastructure, health and safety, etc."

Ministik has capacity for 139 students. In the next three years its enrolment is projected to be 126, 137 and 129 students.

Parents lobbying to keep school open

For a little more than a month, Arlea Duchscher, a parent of two Ministik studentsl, has been lobbying for the school to remain open.

"I think it's a community hub and I think it's going to create a wasteland between Tofield and Sherwood Park if they remove it," said Duchscher. "I hope they decide to keep Ministik open."

She says the school's small class sizes are ideal for her children's education.

Jennifer Edey, another parent with two children enrolled in the school, is also opposed to the closure.

"It's where everybody gets to know everybody," said Edey. "We lived out here for years and didn't know anybody. We didn't know neighbours until our kids went to the school."

She wonders if a potential school closure will make for extensive bus transportation for her children. She hopes to get answers at one of the upcoming public meetings.

Edey questions why the school board made a request for new modulare classrooms if a closure could be coming.

"At the time of application for the modulars, Elk Island public school board did feel that our school was viable enough to make that request for that investment," she said.

Travis.mcewan@cbc.ca