NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ANNOUNCED FOR TOTTENHAM

BOTH FACILITIES WILL ACCOMMODATE 516 STUDENTS, INCLUDE THREE-ROOM CHILD CARE SPACES

The Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) says the province has approved its requests for new elementary schools in Tottenham and Bradford.

According to the board, the Ministry of Education will provide $16.3 million each for a new school to be built on Martin Trail in Tottenham, and for a new school near Rogers Trail and Vipond Way in Bradford.

Both of these projects were identified as the board's top two capital priorities when it made its submission to the ministry in February.

The board said these schools were deemed "key projects" due to the accommodation and growth pressures facing both communities.

Both schools will have a capacity of 516 students and include three-room child care facilities.

"When there is a lot of growth in an area it can result in some pressures for our schools, but it also presents new and exciting opportunities," said Joe Zerdin, SMCDSB Board Chair, in a media release.

Both Bradford and New Tecumseth recently completed boundary reviews in order to relieve accommodation pressure, and as a result some students had to change schools.

"We know that this kind of change isn't always easy. At the same time, growth in the area is now resulting in the construction of two new schools — I know this will be welcome news for the students, staff and families," said Zerdin.

The board said the next step in the process is to issue tenders for architectural design concepts and construction. Once the concepts are approved and vendors are secured, the board said it will have a "better idea" of when the schools will open.

This announcement comes about three months after the board completed a boundary review for the Catholic schools in New Tecumseth. After consulting with the public, the board decided that students attending J.E. Ronan in Beeton, who live north of Line 10, and students attending St. Paul's in Alliston, who live east of County Road 10, will attend St. Cecilia Catholic School, the new Catholic elementary school currently under construction in the Treetops community in Alliston's east end, that will open in September.

Also starting in September, all students in Grades 7 and 8 who live within the F.X. O'Reilly boundary in Tottenham will attend J.E. Ronan in Beeton.