60 new schools and expansion announced for Ontario
Published April 4, 2024 at 6:00 pm
In a joint press conference held today (April 4) in Oakville, the Minister of Education Stephen Lecce and the Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy revealed that the provincial government is doubling the budget for school construction across Ontario to over $1 billion.
According to Lecce, the end goal of this rapid injection of funds is designed to fast-track ongoing construction projects while also laying the groundwork for additional locations in the future. As indicated in the press conference, Ontario will see roughly 27,000 new schools and student spaces through this funding incentive.
Additional locations will include 1,700 childcare spaces across the province as well as 60 new schools and expansions this year.
“This will represent the single largest investment in school building history,” said Lecce during the press conference. “For the first time ever, the government is doubling funding that prioritizes ‘shovel ready’ schools alongside joint-use projects.”
These ‘shovel-ready’ locations are projects far enough in their development stages to allow construction to begin at a moment’s notice. According to Bethlenfalvy, the completion of these locations is paramount as Ontario’s population continues to trend upward.
“We’re talking about critical infrastructure and long-term assets that will make Ontario stronger in the long run,” said Bethlenfalvy during the press conference.
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This provincial funding initiative will cover the entire spectrum of educational institutions in Ontario, including public schools, Catholic schools, English-speaking schools, and French-speaking schools.
However, according to Lecce, the exact number of construction projects will be revealed over the next six to eight weeks. So those in the province wondering if their region will be getting a shiny new school may have to wait a little longer.
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