St. Louis Expanding
St. Louis Catholic Elementary School in Leamington will be expanding with the addition of six new classrooms and three new licensed child care rooms thanks to an injection of funding from the Ministry of Education.
“This is tremendous news for the families in this area who choose Catholic education for their children,” said Mary DiMenna, Trustee for Area 2 (Essex/Harrow/Kingsville/Leamington). “Working families are certainly going to appreciate having more daycare options, and the extra classrooms will certainly help accommodate the growth we’ve seen at this school due to increased student enrollment.”
Earlier this year, the WECDSB received $3.4 million in funding from the Ministry of Education’s 2019-20 Capital Priorities Program and Child Care Capital Funding Program to construct the six classroom addition at the Talbot Street school. The project was submitted by the Board as a Capital Priority request for expanding the dual track JK-6 school, which offers both English and French Immersion.
The six new classrooms, to be built on the west side of the school, will accommodate 147 students. The previously approved child care funding will allow the existing child care at the school to expand with two new pre-school rooms and a toddler room, to accommodate over 60 additional children.
Board officials are evaluating a proposed construction schedule which is still to be determined, but expect that construction will not begin until next summer at the earliest. The project will involve a complex redesign of the site services, including the relocation of a municipal sewer which is located at the path of the expansion.
“From modernizing our curriculum to revitalizing our classrooms and their facilities, we are investing in our students and giving them every tool to achieve their full potential,” said Education Minister Stephen Lecce. “Our financing of the new classrooms and additional licensed child care spaces for St. Louis Catholic Elementary School further demonstrates our government’s historic investment in Ontario’s schools and our overall commitment to supporting our students and families.”