Grade nine students will not be merged into high schools anytime soon.

The Halifax Regional School Board has deferred reconfiguring the grades until more research and public consultations can be done.

Board member Cheryl Blumenthal Harrison said at Wednesday night’s meeting the idea needs to be looked at in greater detail because it doesn’t only concern grade nine.

“There’s a lot more that has to go into this. It also happens to be concerning the grade sixes as well, moving them into a junior high or middle school,” Blumenthal Harrison said.

The change was being considered as a potential cost-saving measure due to declining enrollment.

Blumenthal Harrison says this wasn’t the school board’s idea and the Department of Education needs to stop penny pinching.

“If you look at the research alone, it says grade nines should have their own school – not even be with any of the others. Can we do it? No, like I said, this came from the Department of Education because of the decline in enrollment, trying to save money. I think it’s time the Department of Education coughs up more money,” she said.

Blumenthal Harrison added that calls and emails from the public indicate they’re angry about not being consulted about such a major change to the school system.