Sarnia council will consider plans for a new Catholic elementary school when it meets Monday.
The St. Clair Catholic District School Board wants to build a new French Immersion school with a child-care centre on eight acres of vacant land, along the east side of The Rapids Parkway, opposite St. Francois Xavier Secondary School.
Proposed new Catholic elementary school on Rapids Parkway (Map courtesy of City of Sarnia)
SCCDSB Associate Director Amy Janssens said it's hoped the school would be completed in two to three years.
"We have a commitment from a property owner on Rapids Parkway for them to sell land to the board," said Janssens. "The agreement right now is conditional upon obtaining approval from the Ministry of Education for funds, and we're also in the process of getting some municipal approvals for rezoning and an official plan amendment."
The provincial government approved $17 million for the new school in January 2018 to address overflowing enrollment at Gregory A. Hogan. French Immersion students will go to the new facility and Sacred Heart school will be closed with its students moving to a renovated Gregory Hogan.
"If you know [the] Gregory Hogan site, there's quite a few portables there right now and although those are great temporary solutions, we'd like to get them into the bricks and mortar of a school," said Janssens. "So, the new school will provide this opportunity for them."
Mayor Mike Bradley said council will review the rezoning application and official plan amendments.
"All the feedback on the project is positive," said Bradley. "There's are always adjustments you have to make with the layout and interaction with the neighbourhood, but it's a major new investment in that area where there's a lot of growth and a lot of new families."
The new school would house over 650 students and include five childcare classrooms.
Mayor Bradley said the additional childcare spaces are significant.
"It fits perfectly to the development of that area, that at some future point will probably have about 5,000 people within its boundaries," said Bradley.
A virtual public meeting will be held at 10 a.m.
-With files from Stephanie Chaves.