June Newsletter
Our government is investing $57.7 million for a new junior kindergarten to Grade 12 Catholic school in Wasaga Beach. The community is growing and Wasaga Beach was long overdue for a Secondary School.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce travelled to Wasaga Beach to help announce details of the new school.
I was thrilled to work with municipal officials and the team at the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School to get this project rolling. The new school will include 1,008 student spaces and 49 licensed childcare spaces in Wasaga Beach, ideally it’s built by 2027.
This is a rendering of the new school to be built in Wasaga Beach.
More than $60 million in provincial funding is flowing to the riding for two new schools and a school expansion, helping working families in Essa and New Tecumseth.
This will support the creation of 1,385 student spaces in Essa and New Tecumseth as part of the government’s commitment to building state-of-the-art learning spaces for Ontario students. Essa will also see 49 licensed childcare spaces added to address an accommodation pressure.
Our first stop was in Tottenham at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School to announce details of a new An $8.6 million investment creating 276 student spaces.
These projects are part of a $1.3 billion investment to support new school construction and expansions to existing schools, including childcare spaces. The overall investment, which is the highest ever made in a single year, supports the creation of more than 27,000 new student spaces and more than 1,700 licensed childcare spaces at schools across Ontario.
“This is an exciting time for Catholic education in our Board – our schools are busy and vibrant places, and we have experienced a significant increase in enrolment across the region. The Ministry of Education has recognized the importance of investing in school infrastructure so that we can respond to the needs of our students and staff. I know that the Angus community will be very happy to have a new school to relieve the growth pressures in that community, and St. Thomas Aquinas certainly looks forward to a new addition to accommodate growth and learning at their school.”
-Maria Hardie, Board Chair
Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board
A $28.1 million investment in the Simcoe County District School Board for a new Angus Elementary School to be located at Greenwood Drive & Decarolis Drive in Essa, creating 593 student spaces.
“Simcoe County’s population continues to grow at a rapid pace. This growth has required us to accommodate students in our existing public schools that are, in many cases, already over-crowded facilities. New residential growth, specifically in Essa Township, has been steadily increasing, putting significant pressure on our two public schools in Angus and schools in neighbouring communities. This announcement is welcome news for the SCDSB, for students and families in Angus, and it is certainly a positive investment in the community. Staff put forward a strong business case to the Ministry of Education, which included a ‘shovel ready’ site purchased by the SCDSB in Oct. 2022. With this announcement of capital funding, and the strong relationship we have established with the Township of Essa, we will be ready to proceed with the build immediately.”
-John Dance, Director of Education
Simcoe County District School Board
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Don’t forget to download the latest episode of our podcast, Point 2 Point. Brian discusses the latest issues with Trent Gow
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