Construction company awarded contract to replace aging Pictou County schools

Trenton Middle School is pictured. (Hafsa Arif/CTV Atlantic)

An Atlantic Canadian construction company has been awarded a contract to replace two aging schools in Trenton, N.S.

The province has awarded Marco Group Limited the contract to replace Trenton Elementary and Trenton Middle schools.

They will be replaced with a new, modern and environmentally sustainable building for students from pre-primary to Grade 8.

The school will be built next to the Trenton Minor Sports Community Centre and Trenton Park.

The province says the site meets program needs, offers safe access for students and buses and provides opportunities to share community infrastructure.

“This is an exciting day for the entire community as we start to design the new school that the town of Trenton deserves,” said Pictou Centre MLA Danny MacGillivray in a provincial news release.

“The important feedback and input from parents, students, educators and community members have helped determine the preferred location for the school and will continue to be invaluable as we shape the design of their new school.”

The first phase of the project, which is worth $1.7 million, will be for initial design work.

Trenton Elementary School was built in 1966 and has 136 students. Trenton Middle School was built in 1925 and has 108 students.

The new school will accommodate up to 300 students.

Concerns about the aging schools came to a head last fall when heavy rainfall caused water to pour through the ceiling of the middle school. Parents also had safety concerns surrounding the air quality after students had frequent congestion and even nosebleeds.

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