The superintendent of the Hanover School Division says splitting the Niverville High School project into two phases is an opportunity to partner with the Town of Niverville.

It was announced on Friday that a two phase project would be implemented to support the Town of Niverville as they seek funding for the Community Resource Centre.  The first phase will be completed in September 2019 and will include everything but the drama room, band room, and child-care facilities. All spaces not built in the first phase will be completed by 2020.

Randy Dueck says it was the Public School's Finance Board who suggested a two-phase process for the project.

"It did not come directly from the Hanover School Division. We were asked if we would consider it and we would look at the consideration of it, we said yes because of the opportunities that are provided. I think, again, to really maximize the opportunities for the community of Niverville. If the province can look at a project for a community and say there are opportunities for us to maximize the projects, maybe plural, in this community by working together a little bit, the province would be quite happy to do that."

Dueck says splitting the project into two-phases may come at an increased cost.

"That will be sorted out in the tendering process to discover if there are increased costs. Those costs will certainly not be born by the Hanover School Division. We know that, so that part of things doesn't really concern us a whole lot. Ultimately, the reason why we doing this and that there may even be some increased costs is there's an opportunity to maximize the funding available when you take the big picture of Niverville altogether."

Phase one does not include the band room, drama room, or child care facility. Dueck says currently there isn't a full-scale drama or child care facility in the high school and so those would start once the space is ready. As for the band room, he adds they have a year-and-a-half to figure out how to accommodate the program between the completion of phase one and phase two.

Dueck says ultimately the school is the community's. He notes they're building the school to last between 75 and 100 years adding having a community resource centre as well will be something really wonderful.

He notes they're hoping to break ground in March.

Read More: Niverville High School To Be Built In Two Phases