An architect has been selected to design Sarnia's new Catholic French immersion school.
The St. Clair Catholic District School Board said Cornerstone Architecture in London will lead the design of the new school, which is to be built along the east side of The Rapids Parkway, opposite St. Francois Xavier Secondary School.
“Through our RFP (Request for Proposals) process, Cornerstone emerged as the successful proponent to assist the board in developing a sustainable school, incorporating environmental and energy efficiency principles in a state-of-the-art 21st century facility,” said Associate Director and Treasurer of the Board Amy Janssens.
The board said it has worked with Cornerstone in the past, including its newest school, St. Angela Merici Catholic School in Chatham, which opened in September 2020.
Director of Education Deb Crawford said once the predesign is set, they'll go to tender and hope to begin construction in the fall.
“Cornerstone will help the board lead a consultation to gather input from all stakeholders, including parents, students, staff, trustees and senior administration, as part of the school design process,” said Crawford. “We will be releasing more information about this important step in the process in the future.”
Crawford hopes the school, which will house 650 students and include five childcare classrooms, will be completed by spring 2023.
"We'll have five kindergarten classrooms, 23 other classrooms, we'll have an instrumental music classroom, as well as a room for special education, a gymnasium, office, staff room, that sort of thing."
London Bridge has been selected as the childcare provider at the new school.
“We are pleased to partner with the St. Clair Catholic District School Board and the County of Lambton on this joint venture” said Angela Woodburn, Co-Executive Director of London Bridge Child Care Services. “This centre will provide an opportunity to build strong connections between the early years and school. We look forward to establishing strong relationships with the children and families in this community for many years to come.”
Funding for the $17 million dollar school was approved by the province in January, 2018.