Marine Drive Academy

Marine Drive Academy (MDA) is a P-12 school in Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Marine Drive Academy
MDA under construction in January 2019.
Address
429 Church Point Road

Sheet Harbour
,
Nova Scotia
,
B0J 3B0

Canada
Coordinates44°55′6.81″N 62°31′9.66″W
Information
School typeP-12
FoundedSeptember 2020 (September 2020)
School boardHalifax Regional Centre for Education
GradesPre-Primary–12
Enrollment256[1] (2020)
Websitemda.hrce.ca

The school is located in the Halifax Regional Municipality and is a part of the Halifax Regional Centre for Education. It is located adjacent to its predecessor, Duncan MacMillan High School, and on the site of the former Sheet Harbour Consolidated School. Construction began in late 2017 and the building opened in September 2020. Avondale Construction was enlisted as the contractor, while Century Exteriors and FBM Architecture handled the exterior and interior design respectively.[2][3] The structure of the building was influenced heavily by the surrounding landscape, and is designed to also act as a community hub.[3] As of 2020, 256 students were enrolled in the school.[1]

History
Duncan MacMillan High in 2017.

At a meeting of the former HRSB on March 28, 2012, representatives of the DMHS catchment area requested that the area's schools be put up for review.[4] A school review committee was formed in accordance with standard procedures, which met several times from 2012 to 2013.[4] Strong local support was expressed for a new facility. The schools were considered in need of replacement due in part to their age; they were built in the 1950s and 60s.[4][5] The HRSB voted to prioritize the construction of a new P-12 school for the Sheet Harbour area. The committee felt that a rural facility had unique challenges and desired more recreational facilities.[4][6] Boundary changes to the western edge of the Duncan MacMillan catchment area were proposed, but were highly unpopular among local residents.[6] At the time, about a tenth of the students would no longer fall under the catchment area with this change, severely affecting enrollment. The current catchment area is 84 km (52 mi) wide, the largest in the HRCE.[6]

On December 23, 2013, the HRSB publicly announced that a new P-12 school would be built to serve the Sheet Harbour area.[7]

Three potential sites for the new facility were proposed.[8] The first was, at the time, the present site of SHCS and DMHS. The second site was located outside of Sheet Harbour and the third was in the center of the community.[8] The grounds of SHCS and DMHS was announced as the selected location on April 26, 2016.[9][10][11] Sheet Harbour Consolidated School was closed in 2017 after 60 years of operation as a part of the plan.[12][13][14] Potential names for the new facility were collected from the public in early 2019. 61 names were submitted. Consensus was reached on two of the top three potential names for the facility.[15] Consensus was not reached on a third candidate however, and a vote was held among the local students from April 24 to 25, 2019. The name of the facility was announced on June 17, 2019.[16] Lakefront Consolidated School in Tangier, a DMHS feeder school, closed at the end of the 2018-2019 school year. A closing ceremony was held at the school on June 22, 2019.[17]

Marine Drive Academy opened in September 2020.[18]

References
  1. "Marine Drive Academy". Halifax Regional Centre For Education. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  2. "SHEET HARBOUR P-12 SCHOOL". Century Exteriors Inc. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  3. "EASTERN DISTRICT P-12 SCHOOL". FBM. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  4. "School Review Committee Response - Sheet Harbour Consolidated Elementary - January 2013" (PDF). Halifax Regional Centre for Education. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  5. "Long Range Outlook" (PDF). Halifax Regional Centre for Education. p. 206. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  6. "Lakefront Consolidated Elementary School - Impact Assessment Response - January 2013" (PDF). Halfiax Regional Centre for Education. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  7. "Government Investing in Schools". Province of Nova Scotia. December 23, 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  8. "Site Selection Report - Eastern District P-12 School" (PDF). Halifax Regional Centre for Education. June 25, 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  9. "Office of the Superintendent" (PDF). Halifax Regional Centre for Education. October 4, 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  10. "sst-letter_dmhs-12oct2016.pdf" (PDF). Halifax Regional Centre for Education. October 12, 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  11. "Government Announces Site for New School". Province of Nova Scotia. April 26, 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  12. "Office of the Superintendent" (PDF). Halifax Regional Centre for Education. March 7, 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  13. Davie, Emma. "'It's scary': Sheet Harbour parents unhappy school playground staying put". CBC. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  14. "Office of the Superintendent" (PDF). Halifax Regional Centre for Education. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  15. "Report - Recommendation for the Naming of the New Eastern P-12 School" (PDF). Halifax Regional Centre for Education. May 2, 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  16. "Office of the Regional Executive Director of Education" (PDF). Halifax Regional Centre for Education. June 17, 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  17. Bell, Richard (June 30, 2019). "Lakefront Consolidated Closes After 65 Years". Eastern Shore Cooperator. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  18. Christie, Janice (1 October 2020). "Marine Drive Academy opens new facility during pandemic". The Star. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
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