School District 2 has hired an architectural firm to recommend whether Moncton High School should be renovated or replaced. (CBC)

The future of Moncton High School is now in the hands of an Ontario-based architectural firm.

CS&P Architects has been hired by School District 2 to decide whether the historic building should be torn down, renovated or expanded.

It could cost as much as $48 million to bring the 74-year-old school up to code, according to a 2009 architect's report. That's almost double the $25 million it would cost to build a new one, the report found.

'I'm a volunteer member of the DEC and so are the other people and for us to make a decision in isolation just doesn't seem fair.'—Harry Doyle, District Education Council chair

It's an emotional decision and an independent opinion is crucial, said Harry Doyle, chair of the District Education Council.

"I've had husbands and wives fighting with one another - 'We should spend the money. We shouldn't spend the money.' And really, honestly, I have no idea what to do with this," he said.

"I'm a volunteer member of the DEC and so are the other people and for us to make a decision in isolation just doesn't seem fair."

No preconceived ideas

CS&P is walking into the school with no preconceived ideas, said Maureen O'Shaughnessy, who is heading the project.

"There's some really beautiful things about this building, but there are also some very challenging things about this building," she said.

"I spend a lot of time in schools and I've been in some schools that really have great spaces for education, that really engage the students and there are definitely some deficiencies in the program spaces in this school."

The company will meet with students, staff, alumni, city planners, the heritage commission and the general public, said O'Shaughnessy.

She expects to have a final recommendation by October.

The Department of Education will make the final decision.

New schools are expected to have a life of 30 years. Moncton High School first opened to students in 1935.

Some of the rooms in the school are closed because they don't meet modern fire codes.

Its roofing, flooring and walls have to be replaced and upgrades have to be made to the attic and exterior stonewalls, according to the 2009 report. In addition, the plaster walls containing asbestos have to be removed.

The building, known for its gothic exterior, includes three storeys of sandstone, arched bays and massive wood entrance doors.