The Ministry of Education has opened up the door for Capital Priority Submissions and the Grand Erie District School Board is looking to cast a wide net in Simcoe.
This money is meant for accommodation pressures, replacing schools in poor condition, supporting past consolidation decisions. providing facilities for French-language rights holders in under-served areas, and creating new licensed childcare spaces in schools.
The board is putting together 4 business models, but two of them surround the situation at Elgin Avenue Public School and West Lynn Public School.
During a review of school capacity a few years back, the board was considering two options.
Option 1: Closing West Lynn Public School and moving the students to Elgin, with repairs planned for the school.
Option 2: Expand West Lynn and close down Elgin.
After a lengthy ARC process, ultimately the board went in favour of closing down West Lynn.
But this plan hit a snag when the cost of repairing Elgin was far greater than any estimate prior predicted.
Now, as the board is getting prepared to submit business proposals to the Ministry, they are revising and planning for two different options.
Option 1: Tear down Elgin Avenue and build a brand new school on the property.
Some of the highlights for this option include building four childcare rooms, looking at Grand Erie’s most recent design at Mapleview Elementary School in Dunnville to see if efficiencies in the design or procurement stage of the project can yield savings.
Students from West Lynn would then go to this new school.
A modular construction method will be investigated and considered and right now the board is working on a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment to determine any possible soil contaminants for this site.
This is deemed as Priority 2 right now of the school board’s 4 business plans.
Revised Option 2: Closed Elgin Avenue and Expand West Lynn.
A 13-room addition onto West Lynn Public School would be planned as well as building code upgrades.
There are 6 Relocatable Classroom Modules on the property that will need to be demolished as part of the new addition.
Land acquisition would be required for this expansion and put students would be able to remain at the school during the expansion process.
A Pupil Accommodation Review would be required to consolidate Elgin Avenue PS enrolment into West Lynn, however, the current moratorium on PARs is still in place and would require Ministerial approval to proceed.
Like Elgin, four childcare rooms would be included as part of the new construction.
The property at Elgin would be sold.
The top priority for the board right now is a new joint Elementary school project in Caledonia.
This school to be a co-build with the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board to serve the new Avalon development.
The third priority would be Relocatable Classroom Module Addition to Waterford Public School.
The four business cases are in the process of being been developed and, pending Board approval, will be submitted before the May 21st deadline.