Barrie North Collegiate is getting a $10 million makeover as the school prepares to welcome about 230 additional students next fall.
"We are really excited about what's happening at North," said John Dance, superintendent of facilities at the Simcoe County District School Board.
"The population at the school has gone down over the past several years and the school has felt the pressure of reduced numbers. We are now looking at the population going from 950 to about 1,300 and that means there will be diversity in programs."
When Barrie Central Collegiate closes this June, students will be dispersed to Innisdale Secondary School and Barrie North, depending on where they live.
With a higher population and renovations, Dance says North students can look forward to enhanced programs, potentially in technology.
The first step is to demolish the current cafeteria and that work should start soon.
"We had hoped to get it done over March Break, but that didn't happen," Dance said, adding that the demolition will be completed before the end of the school year.
A new two-story structure will be built in the centre of the school. When competed, there will be a new cafeteria on the main floor, new library on the second floor and nine new classrooms along the sides of the courtyard.
The addition will add approximately 2,100 sq. m. to the building.
Barrie North was opened in 1957 and will be the oldest public high school in the city after Central closes.
The Ministry of Education has agreed to fund $6.5 million of the $10 million cost and the remainder will be funded by the SCDSB through annual renewal and school improvement funds.
Along with the addition inside, there will also be changes outside the school, and that is something that Dance said is really exciting.
"The field will be redone to include a real track, with four or five lanes," he said.
Currently, the Barrie North field includes a narrow dirt track that is almost round and resembles a trail without lanes for races.
"I know the football and rugby team are also very excited about the work that will be done on the outside," Dance said.
