Surprised, angry, sad, betrayed and ready to fight were just some of the reactions from parents and students at Riverdale High School Monday.
The CAQ government announced the building, currently under control of the Lester B. Pearson School Board, would be transferred to the Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Board at the end of the school year.
The move will force the nearly 450 students enrolled at Riverdale to find a new school.
The province's Education Minister said he understands the move is not popular with the English community, but it was necessary due to significant overcrowding in the French school system.
But could Riverdale be just the first domino to fall?
"It's possible," Jean-François Roberge told the Aaron Rand show when asked if other English schools could be closed to make way for French schools. "It's not decided yet. We'll have to evaluate and calculate to see if we need to do so, but the decision is not made right now."
Liberal MNA Carlos Leitão, who represents the electoral district of Robert-Baldwin, said the Riverdale closure is the CAQ showing its true colours.
"I seem to remember Mr. Legault in the election campaign saying to the English community 'Well, what do you have to lose? Give us a try.' Well this is what you got to lose, you got to lose your local institutions," he said.
While the Quebec English School Boards Association said it will continue its fight to have the Education Minister reverse the decision, executive director Russell Copeman said the English speaking community may see more school closures in the future.
"We have a constitutional right to control and manage our education network and to have the Minister and the government to intervene unnecessarily at this time does not augur well for the future," Copeman said.
"We're concerned on a practical level about the future of the quality of education for [Riverdale] students, but we're also concerned of course about the principal of the government of Quebec wading in and exercising these very, very exceptional powers in this way," Copeman added.
A 'Save Riverdale' Facebook group has been created for those who wish to help in the fight to save the school. There is also an online petition calling on the Education Minister to reverse the move that goes against the community's wishes.