Innisfil's Lake Simcoe Public School to be expanded thanks to $5.4M in provincial funding

More capital funding from the province is making its way to the Simcoe County District School Board to fix up some of its over-capacity schools.

Last week, the Ministry of Education announced $550 million in capital project funding for 2020-21 to build 20 new schools and make upgrades to eight existing facilities provincewide.

This afternoon, Barrie-Innisfil MPP Andrea Khanjin announced through a news release that an addition to Lake Simcoe Public School in Innisfil would be one of the projects to receive funding through that announcement. The estimated value of the investment is $5.4 million.

“These are not just investments in bricks and mortar; our government is investing in the future of our children by creating a better learning environment,” said Khanjin. “By building and upgrading these schools we are providing students with access to modern classroom settings and the latest technology which will lead to new opportunities and lifelong success.”

Highlights of the new addition at the Innisfil school include 190 new elementary student spaces, 39 new licensed child-care spaces and two child-care rooms.

“This is very welcome news,” said trustee for Orillia-Ramara-Severn and school board chair Jodi Lloyd. “It’s an area of significant pressure due to enrolment and over capacity. We’re always very grateful for any investment in capital funding.”

In July, the province announced its first round of funding for school capital projects for 2019-20. Through that announcement, the SCDSB would receive $13.5 million for a new 593-pupil elementary school in south Bradford West Gwillimbury and $5.9 million for a new facility to replace Shanty Bay Public School, which has 190 students.

The province also gave the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board approval to proceed with the tender for a new elementary school in Innisfil, which will include child-care rooms.

The announcement in July came with some controversy, as it didn’t align with the capital priority list approved by the public school board.

Here’s the list, in priority order, trustees approved and submitted to the province back in September 2019:

1. New Bradford South elementary school (APPROVED through 2019-20 funding)
2. Banting Memorial High School replacement school
3. Lake Simcoe Public School addition (APPROVED through 2020-21 funding)
4. Killarney Beach Public School addition
5. New Angus elementary school
6. New Alliston elementary school
7. New Orillia elementary school
8. New Barrie #1 Southeast elementary school
9. New Barrie #1 Southwest elementary school
10. Shanty Bay Public School Replacement School (APPROVED through 2019-20 funding)

As of Wednesday, no other local projects had yet been announced by the province or local school boards, however the province has said school boards with successful 2020-21 projects will be notified by the Ministry of Education by Oct. 30.

Lloyd said that in a conference call with the Minister of Education on Tuesday, he indicated that he hoped to fast-track another release of capital investments by the spring of 2021.

“At this point, we’re pleased to get one. If we get additional, that would be even better,” she said.