Fort Norman (Sep 29/03) - Parents in Tulita got one item they had marked on their election wish list when Premier Stephen Kakfwi said earlier this month he will support the construction of a new school here.

According to the press officer for the executive, Drew Williams, the premier told the community while on a visit Sept. 18 that he will be searching for money to put aside for a new school in the upcoming territorial budget.

But Jake Ootes, minister of Education, Culture and Employment, said a new school must first be approved through the Financial Management Board and then cabinet. Being an election year, there are no absolute guarantees.

"It depends upon somewhat where other projects may clock out as being higher priority," said Ootes. "We had some money to do the renovations but that was just for initial renovations."

He said an engineer's assessment of the 24-year-old Chief Albert Wright school conducted last year determined that it would probably be cheaper to build a new school than repair it.

The report concluded that it would cost $2 million to renovate the building. Ootes said it's too early to tell when a new school will be built.

"It's all part of what is the capital availability in the next year, two years, three years sort of thing," said Ootes.

The school has faced numerous problems in recent years.

The 24-year-old school's 166 students are crammed into a single-storey building with seven classrooms, some of which had to be carved out of the school's kitchen and staff room.

They were even forced to move their library out of the school and into a different building in town. The computer room was moved into a hallway.

The school opening was delayed a week this year for emergency repairs. It was also closed last November for two weeks because the building was literally wobbling on its foundation of 140 rotted out pilings.

"We have a portable that's not even attached to the school," said the school's principal, Wayne Dawe, who's in his first year on the job.

"So there's a socialization problem there. The kids are running back and forth and you're up to your ankles in mud."