New schools: Good news for the public board, ‘disappointment’ for the Catholic

Windsor’s public school board has been given funding by the province to build two new schools, but the Catholic board has been left with nothing.

Education minister Liz Sandals announced $498 million in funding Nov. 9 to build 30 new schools and 122 licensed child care rooms in Ontario, which included $30.53 million in capital grants for Windsor.

Public relations officer Scott Scantlebury said the funding is of great benefit to the region.

“Thirty new school projects were announced and two of them are for Windsor and Essex County, I think that’s tremendously significant for this area,” said Scantlebury.

The money will be used by the public board to build replacements for D.M. Eagle Public School and Giles Campus French Immersion, currently housed in W.D. Lowe high school.

Eight child care rooms with 146 spaces overall were also confirmed for Windsor to be split between the two new schools.

While the public board received exciting news, it was disappointment for the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, which hoped it would receive the go-ahead to build a new Catholic Central Secondary School.

“We were shocked and again, extremely disappointed, not just for us but for the kids in that community and their families. They’ve been waiting a very long time,” said WECDSB chairwoman Barbara Holland.

According to Holland, the new school is needed because of a lack of space for sports and overcapacity, requiring about 240 students to attend classes in another building accessible through an alleyway.

Holland said the capital project has been denied seven times even though they met requirements set out by the ministry, including providing business plans for the school.

“It’s their turn, it’s the right thing and it’s time to do the right thing,” said Holland.

With 72 countries represented at the school, Holland said it’s important not only to the board but the students.

“When you walk into that building there’s such a warmth there, there’s a genuine yearn for learning, you cannot walk into that school and leave untouched.”

She said the school would cost approximately $25 million to build, merging the former Windsor Arena and Windsor Water World. The two properties were offered to the board by the city in 2013, with a deadline of December 2015 to start developing the buildings.  Holland said she hopes the city will delay the deadline until the spring funding announcement.

Mayor Drew Dilkens said the deadline will remain in place, but added that because no other plans are in place for the properties, it’s possible they will remain with the board.

The locations for the two new public schools have yet to be made, but Scantlebury said with the funding, the selection process can begin. Both new schools are expected to be completed in three to four years.