Provincial government to grant $87.7 million toward local school construction projects

Rendering of a the elementary portion of a new Kingsville school. (Courtesy GECDSB)

The Ontario government is investing $87.7 million to improve and build new schools in Windsor-Essex.

The Greater Essex County District School Board received approval from the province on Tuesday to proceed to tender a new replacement school for DM Eagle Public School in Tecumseh and to build a new school in Kingsville.

The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board was also given the go-ahead by the province to tender a permanent addition to create 147 student spaces and 63 licensed child care spaces and three child care rooms at St. Louis Catholic Elementary School in Leamington.

The province is investing $22.5 million to replace DM Eagle, $59 million to build a new JK-Grade 12 school in Kingsville and $6.2 million for the improvements to St. Louis.

The local funding approvals come after Stephen Lecce, minister of education, announced in November that the province would be investment more than $600 million to support new school and childcare spaces. This will support 78 school and child-care related projects across the province.

“Our government believes that students in every corner of the province deserve access to quality learning opportunities and safer schools, which is why we continue to invest in modern and accessible learning spaces with improved ventilation,” Lecce said in a news release.

The new DM Eagle Public School will offer 651 student spaces and four childcare rooms with 73 spaces. The new school in Kingsville plans to offer 1,798 student spaces and 98 licensed child care spaces and six childcare rooms.

“The Government of Ontario is strongly committed to providing students in Essex County with the modern, accessible and technologically-connected learning spaces they deserve,” Lecce said.

These investments are part of the Ontario government’s commitment to provide $14 million to support school construction over 10 years. The province says there currently more than 300 child care and education building-related projects in development across Ontario.