The mayor of Portugal Cove-St. Philips is beaming with news that kids in high school from her town will eventually be able to go to school in their own town.

The community will get its own high school, something which Mayor Carol McDonald has been working toward since first elected five years ago.

About 400 high school students go to St. John’s for the last step of their secondary schooling, but government is going to build a new school for them in the burgeoning suburb.

Students leave on the bus at about 7:30 in the morning and don’t return until about 4 p.m., a situation which the mayor describes as tough. Her kids went through it, as did her grandkids.