Ontario will build or expand 60 schools

Ontario is spending $1.3 billion to build or expand 60 schools across the province, including a number in the Greater Toronto Area, Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced Thursday.

The funding, which was included in the government’s 2024 budget, will be used for both classroom and child-care spaces, he said, alongside Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy at a news conference in Oakville.

The announcement was welcomed by school boards, many of which are dealing with aging infrastructure or buildings that have fallen into a state of disrepair because of funding from successive governments that they say has fallen far short of their needs.

“This significant investment will help ensure that students across the province have access to modern, state-of-the-art learning environments that provide them with the best opportunity to thrive and succeed,” said Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association.

The funding includes $26.4 million for an addition to Milton District High School, $27.4 million for a new École secondaire catholique Milton and $26.1 million to construct a new Georgetown West Catholic Elementary School.

The provincial government has been urging school boards to use templates for new buildings, to opt for prefabricated construction, and to work together on joint facilities to help with costs and get projects completed faster.

In Toronto, the Catholic and public boards share Bishop Macdonell Catholic School and Jean Lumb Public School in the Canoe Landing project, located in the downtown core on a site that also has a community and child-care centre.

Patrick Daly, president of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association, said school boards welcome commitments that will “provide the necessary funds to construct schools in rapidly growing areas and improve the learning environment of students in Catholic schools throughout Ontario.”