Minister of Education Liz Sandals was in Meaford today to announce that the Ministry of Education has approved a business case submitted by Bluewater District School Board for School Consolidation Capital funding to build a new K-12 school to accommodate all of the area's students. Funding in the amount of 24.1 million dollars will be used for the new build, which will be designed to meet future enrolment expectations for the Meaford Area Group of Schools.
The announcement follows the decision made by the Board of Trustees on March 22, 2016 to accommodate grades 4 – 8 students in Georgian Bay Secondary School and kindergarten to grade 3 students in St. Vincent-Euphrasia Elementary School effective September 2016. Meanwhile, Meaford
Community School is slated for closure effective June 30, 2016.
Timelines, location within the Meaford community and other details regarding the build are being determined by board staff. More information will be communicated to the public as details emerge.
"This is great news for the Meaford Area Group of Schools. We thank the Ministry of Education for supporting our community's needs and vision with this opportunity for strengthened and sustainable elementary and secondary education in the Meaford area," says Linda Hamill, Trustee for the Municipality
of Meaford/The Blue Mountains.
"We graciously acknowledge the Ministry of Education and its commitment to our students through funding for a new school to serve the Meaford area. Also, it is important to recognize the collective contributions of our trustees, staff, community and municipal partners in ensuring a smooth, well-informed accommodation review process which has led to an extremely favourable outcome," says Director of Education Steve Blake.
