Paradise is making its case for a new high school to government as the town believes it should be the priority for such a building.

Government, which now is in total control of site selection for new builds and capital upgrades, awarded a new high school to Portugal Cove-St. Philips. About 300 senior students are bused from that area to St. John’s, primarily PWC, but Paradise Mayor Dan Bobbett says that pales in comparison to the number of children who leave his town for schools beyond.

1,500 students are being bused out of Paradise, he says. He notes that it’s the fastest-growing community in Atlantic Canada with the youngest average-age population. 6,000 of the residents are under the age of 19 and 20 per cent of the entire population of 23,000 is under the age of 14, he says.

The town council has a meeting lined up with the minister of education, Krista Lynn Howell, to discuss the situation.