Wallaceburg District Secondary School is receiving a hefty chunk of change from the Ministry of Education.
A total of $2.25 million is being given to WDSS for a series of capital improvements, which coincides with the Grade 7 and 8’s moving into the school this coming year.
Jim Costello, director of education for the Lambton-Kent District School Board, said the money will go towards a new fitness centre, a new track and a new learning environment and expanded library.
“We are going to refurbish the track,” he said. “The track has been unusable for years, so we’re going to improve that. Probably, I’m hoping for something with a rubberized asphalt, so the track will be usable again.”
Costello added: “We’re going to finish off some work above the Grade 7 and 8 classrooms up above the former St. Clair College. We’re also going to expand the library into the court yard a little bit there. Have a new kind of learning commons environment and we’re going to create a fitness facility, down where one of the old tech rooms was.”
As Costello told us last month, they were initially declined by the Ministry.
“The way it works with the Ministry as a result of the accommodation review, if you are consolidating schools, if your project is the number one capital priority for your board, you can receive capital funding to improve the learning environment and make it a better environment in the newer, consolidated school,” Costello said. “That is what we did, we were moving the 7’s and 8’s into the high school and we asked for dollars to improve the learning environment and do a major overhaul of the school. We were denied in the spring and we asked to be reconsidered and the Ministry graciously agreed to re-look at our file and they’ve now given us $2.25 million.”
Costello said the improvements are geared towards making the entire school better, from Grade 7 to Grade 12.
“When we do an accommodation review, we like to recognize the fact that the community has closed a school and sometimes the trade off when you close a school is you get an improved learning environment for your students,” he said. “That is what we wanted. We have an iPad project in that school where all the Grade 9’s get iPads. It’s nice that we can offer a good learning environment with a nice facility coupled with good state-of-the-art equipment for the students. Hopefully that will make the results of the ARC be accepted a little better.”
Costello said work and planning will begin shortly to begin some of the new projects, specifically the new track.
“Probably later this week, principal Rob Lee will meet with our Business Superintendent and we’ll probably do a tender process to see who would like to do the work (on the new track) and people will be able to bid on that,” he said. “I expect it will maybe start in the spring… but that will be determined and be announced.”
The $2.25 million given to WDSS is part of a $80 million investment by the province of Ontario.
“Our continued investments in new school buildings and renovations will provide students with modern and improved spaces to learn,” stated Liz Sandals, minister of education. “We know that when students have better schools they will be able to better focus on their learning and thrive.”
The funding across Ontario is for 10 capital projects, which includes six new school builds.
