The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) has announced the “difficult” choice to shut down Arthur Voaden Secondary School (AVSS) in St. Thomas, Ontario, which opened its doors in 1926.
This news comes alongside confirmation that the Ministry of Education has approved plans for a new secondary school. This will mark the first new high school for St. Thomas students in over twenty years.
“While we honour the rich history and connection many have to Arthur Voaden Secondary School, this announcement allows us to look ahead and create an innovative and accessible learning environment for generations of students to come,” said TVDSB director of education Bill Tucker.
Arthur Voaden Secondary School (AVSS) first opened in 1926. (Josiane N’tchoreret-Mbiamany/CBC)
Although AVSS is safe for students and staff, the school board stated that it would need extensive long-term maintenance and costly infrastructure repairs.
“You can start fresh with four new walls on a building. You can plan things that you can’t go to an old high school,” said St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston, mentioning advancements like higher technology and skilled-trades training.
“It would be great to build the school around today’s future rather than the future from 100 years ago.”
The city has been discussing with Minister of Education Paul Calandra about potentially combining the new school facility with a childcare center. Overall, replacing AVSS will cost more than $43 million.
Joe Preston is the mayor of St. Thomas. (Josiane N’tchoreret-Mbiamany/CBC)
For some former students, this means saying goodbye to a local landmark.
“I’m hoping the new school will be very similar,” said Richard Haddow, who recalls studying skilled trades as a student in the ’60s. “Arthur Voaden was a leader in its time. It was way ahead of its time.”
Betty Jenkins Green, who attended in the late ’80s and now works in marketing, shared how her journey began by learning shorthand during office classes on the third floor of the building.
Betty Jenkins Green says she got her start in marketing while working on the school yearbook at Arthur Voaden Secondary School (AVSS) in the 1980s. (Josiane N’tchoreret-Mbiamany/CBC)
“Me and another fellow, we were topping our class for getting s for the yearbook,” she recalled. “That’s why I started in marketing.”
A committee is planning to host a celebration honoring the school’s legacy later this summer.
The families of AVSS students will receive information about new school locations for fall by early May, according to TVDSB.
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