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.”