The principal, said student Will Shelley, told the student body at around 10:30 that morning that the school would close at the end of the school year.
“I’m destroyed by this,” said Shelley, a 30-year-old who went back to school after an accident saw a steel rod be placed in his arm. “It really put a low block on me.”
Growing up, Shelley had difficulties learning because of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
“My government failed me then and they’re failing me now. I’ve been out of school for 10 years now and my marks are high and I’m one semester away from going to university. There are a lot of upset students.”
The provincial government announced early in February it would be cutting funding to the eight school boards by 1.3 per cent in the next fiscal year. That means that the Chignecto Central Regional School Board, which operates the adult high schools in Truro, Amherst, New Glasgow and Elmsdale, would have a projected shortfall of $6.5 million for 2012-13.
“I don’t understand,” said Shelley. “If the government wants to save money, they need to keep these schools open so we can become productive members of our society so we don’t have to live on social assistance, such as welfare.”
For more on the story, see Saturday's edition of the Truro Daily News.