New public school in Tecumseh satisfies need while preparing for future growth
A new sign of the times was unveiled Friday morning in the Town of Tecumseh.
North Shore Public School is 12-14 months away from completion and will replace D.M. Eagle just a mile down the road.
“It is a big move for this community to have a school that was K to 6 now moving to K to 8,” said Erin Kelly, director of education for the Greater Essex County District School Board.
The school will be dual track offering English and French Immersion and will help alleviate enrolment pressures at Tecumseh Vista Academy. The budget is $22.5 million.
“The area is definitely needing the expansion of the school,” Kelly said.
Will the expansion be enough to satisfy the rapidly growing section of town? Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie says there is a long time between the planning of a new school and when the doors open.
“Demographics change. The student population changes,” he said.
The new North Shore school won't have portables, but officials say the new K to 12 school in Kingsville will.
The need to expand is not unique.
Open for a year and a half and equipped with portables, Legacy Oak Trail Public School is expected to break ground soon on a new addition because of the growth in the Town Of LaSalle.
Conversely, other schools have been phasing out portables.
“You have two choices,” said Dowie. “You overbuild and have excess capacity or you under build and you can ramp up with portables.”
D.M. Eagle is home to about 250 students. North Shore will have a capacity of over 650.
“Obviously growth is happening in the area,” Kelly stated. “You can't always predict how many of those will be student pupil places. That being said we do feel good about the size of the school that the ministry has granted us.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
O'Toole says CSIS told him he was focus of Chinese misinformation, suppression effort
Conservative MP Erin O'Toole says Canada's spy agency has told him he was the target of Chinese interference intended to to discredit him and promote false narratives about his policies while party leader.

U.S. officer shoots at truck driver near N.B. border crossing
Traffic is back up and running through the border crossing between Woodstock, N.B., and Houlton, Maine, after a security scare Monday.
BREAKING | Blue Jays pitcher 'truly sorry' for sharing anti-LGBTQ2S+ video
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Anthony Bass said he is 'truly sorry' for sharing a controversial anti-LGBTQ2S+ video on Instagram.
Human rights activist confirmed to be held in Chinese detention centre: family in Canada
Chinese authorities have confirmed that human rights activist Dong Guangping has been held in a Chinese detention centre since October of last year, according to the man's family in Canada.
Police identify engaged couple shot dead after dispute with landlord near Hamilton
A young couple shot and killed after a dispute with their landlord near Hamilton have been identified by police.
Priest charged in alleged sexual assault of 8-year-old girl on Manitoba First Nation
Manitoba RCMP have arrested a priest from a First Nation community who is accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl, and believe there may be more victims.
B.C. teacher who singled out students over their breasts, bathroom-use suspended for 5 days
A B.C. high school teacher is facing a five-day suspension and course requirement after making multiple students feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about their bodies—and it’s not the first time he’s been disciplined in the past decade.
Federal government aiming to dispose of half of its office buildings with hybrid work here to stay
The federal government is planning to offload up to half of its office buildings across the country, citing the rise in remote and hybrid work.
Air Canada failing to provide full services in both official languages: report
Whether travelling by plane, train or automobile, francophone travellers are struggling to access services in their language, Canada's official languages commissioner said Tuesday.