VAUGHAN — Stephen Lecce, MPP for King-Vaughan and Ontario’s Minister of Education today announced the Government of Ontario has swiftly approved the York Catholic District School Board’s request to fund over $1.65 million to relocate and refurbish a ten-classroom portapack that will replace ten individual portable classrooms at Pope Francis Catholic Elementary School in Kleinburg.
This investment will create an improved learning environment for students and allow for more accessibility. On February 10th, the York Catholic District School Board submitted a complete proposal to the Ministry of Education, and on May 5th, the Ministry of Education approved it.
The portapack will replace ten current portables that will be relocated to neighbouring schools, and create a semi-permanent structure for Pope Francis CES students that will include:
A common hallway for entrance and egress with coat racks and boot storage
Additional work areas for collaborative learning
Ease of circulation between classrooms
Opportunities for shared supervision between classrooms
Provides enhanced air quality, temperature control and ventilation
“I am committed to building new schools in our community like the Kleinburg Nashville Elementary School, while expanding existing schools like Pope Francis Catholic Elementary School to improve the learning experience of students in this growing community,” said Stephen Lecce, MPP for King-Vaughan. “In addition to approving a net new public elementary school in Kleinburg that is under construction, we are also improving the learning facilities at Pope Francis Catholic Elementary to ensure all students in our community are learning in modern spaces. Across our community and province, we are modernizing schools in fast-growing communities to ensure the students of today are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.”
To support growth in the community, in 2020, MPP Lecce announced $21 million in provincial funding to build a new public elementary school in Kleinburg through the York Region District School Board. The approval for a new Kleinburg Nashville Elementary School includes a modern school for over 630 students and a child care centre. The new Kleinburg Nashville Elementary School will be located at the intersection of Baron St. and Algoma Dr., Vaughan.
“I would like to thank MPP Lecce for working with me and the community to find a positive solution for students at Pope Francis Catholic Elementary School,” said Angela Saggese YCDSB Vaughan Area 1: Ward 1 Trustee. “This expansion was a priority of parents, which is why we worked together to ensure it gets done.”
Additionally, Ontario is taking action to ensure that school board capital assets are used effectively and efficiently to meet the needs of growing communities, support student learning and ensure value for taxpayer dollars. The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act will empower decision-makers to build modern schools faster by better utilizing school capacity, reducing barriers for school boards to facilitate agreements for schools in multi-use buildings, and shortening planning time by requiring school boards to use certain designs or plans when constructing, renovating, or making additions to schools.
QUICK FACTS
Since 2018, the Ontario government has invested over $2.2 billion in capital projects in education, including 100 new schools, 88 additions and renovations to existing facilities and nearly 6,500 new licensed child care spaces.
For the 2023-24 school year, the province is providing school boards with approximately $1.4 billion in funding to revitalize and renew aged building systems and components.
In April 2023, Ontario introduced The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act that will ensure the public education system focuses on what matters most: important life-long skills such as reading, writing and math; improve accountability and transparency for parents and families; and build schools faster while better utilizing current school spaces to get more classrooms into communities that need them.
Comments