Two local school buildings will benefit from a major financial commitment from the province of Ontario.
Premier Doug Ford announced Thursday that the Ministry of Education will invest over half-a-billion dollars on school infrastructure across the province. The funding will support the construction of 30 new school buildings, plus renovations and additions for 15 more.
The Greater Essex County District School Board has been given the green light for a new elementary school in Lakeshore. The $13 million investment for the still-unnamed building will provide for state-of-the-art learning space for up to 582 students.
Also, the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board has been given the approval to move forward with an upgrade to St. Louis Catholic Elementary School in Leamington. Once that expansion is complete, there will be 147 new student spaces, plus three new childcare rooms.
Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls said the money for these projects is long overdue.
“The funding for these schools is great news for these communities,” said Nicholls in a media release. "These investments will provide a quality learning environment and new opportunities for the children of Lakeshore and Leamington."
Education Minister Stephen Lecce indicated that the investment into these two schools is a small component of the huge pledge the Ontario government has made to improving school infrastructure province-wide.
"From modernizing our curriculum to revitalizing our classrooms and their facilities, we are investing in our students and giving them every tool to achieve their full potential," said Lecce. "Our financing of the new unnamed elementary school in Lakeshore, and addition to St. Louis Catholic Elementary School, further demonstrates our government’s historic investment in Ontario’s schools and our overall commitment to supporting our students and families."
A completion date for the new Lakeshore school is not yet determined, nor has a location been finalized, according to GECDSB spokesman Scott Scantlebury. The expansion to St. Louis School in Leamington is set for completion by September 2021.
A complete rundown of all planned school projects in Windsor-Essex can be found on the province's official website.