Fencing is up and construction equipment has arrived at the site of the new Clayton Park–Fairview School, marking the official start of a project families in the area have been waiting years to see.
Early site work began two weeks ago, including clearing, grading, and installing underground services. The nearby sports field will stay open to the public while construction continues. The site is located on Radcliffe Drive.
“This is a proud moment for our community,” said Adegoke Fadare, MLA for Clayton Park West. “This new school will not only provide modern, high-quality learning spaces for our children, but will also serve as a welcoming hub for families and community connections.”
The new junior high will eventually serve about 950 students in grades 6 to 9. When it opens, Park West School will shift to elementary-only, which should help balance enrollment across the area and cut down on how far some families have to travel.
Built with community input
The school’s design came together with help from a steering team made up of local residents and representatives from the Halifax Regional Centre for Education. Their priorities are reflected in the plans: a full-size gymnasium, better accessibility throughout the building, and flexible spaces that can pull double duty for both classes and community programs.
Construction will continue over the coming months, with updates available through the HRCE’s Capital Projects webpage.
We have recently learned that generaly there will not be community access to the new walkable school as the student population will take priority. The gymnasium will be used for programming & school activities first so limited access for community. Clarification is needed for the other spaces. Discouraging as there is no HRM programming in Mainland North for affordable programs or drop-ins for all ages.
And the green space, HRM owned, will be shared with the adjacent Park West School. Planned rehab will make it usable and revise its status to a bookable sport field.