RUSSELL/EMBRUN – One of the last announcements made by the Ontario government before the start of the provincial election campaign is $1.3 billion in new and expanded schools. That announcement includes two projects in the Russell and Embrun areas.
Cambridge Public School in Embrun will nearly triple in size as the province approved a 427-student space expansion to the existing 1989-built school. The nine-classroom school currently has 13 portables on site and has 537 students attending.
The school is seeing a 15 per cent student increase across a six-year rolling average as the community attracts more commuters.
Cambridge PS will grow to 686 student spaces, making it one of the largest elementary (K-6) schools in the board.
“The UCDSB is excited to receive approval for the extension to Cambridge Public School,” said UCDSB Trustee Corina Parisien, who represents the area. “It’s a school in a growing community, and we are looking forward to providing a larger and enhanced learning environment for the students and families in the area.”
The $11.3 million project is one of four submitted by the UCDSB for school expansion or replacement. No daycare spaces were included in the announcement.
“From my conversations with parents and guardians about this project, I know they are going to be just as thrilled about this news as we are,” continued Parisien. “We are very appreciative that the provincial government and local MPP Stéphane Sarrazin has committed to investing in this school.”
Russell will see a new French-Public elementary school built to address that village’s needs for French-language education.
The Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario will build a new 268-student elementary school, which will also include 49 licensed child care spaces. The board will receive $15.2 million for the expansion.
In all, 45 school projects (30 new builds, 15 expansions) are being funded through this year’s approval.
“This is the second consecutive year that our government has made historic investments in new school construction and school expansion, as part of the government’s Build Ontario plan,” said Minister of Education Jill Dunlop during the announcement. “Under our plan, schools are being built faster and more efficiently than ever before so more students have access to a place to learn and prepare for the jobs of tomorrow.”
No time line for completion of either project has been given. The Ministry says projects were chosen, in part, on the basis of being “shovel-ready” to begin construction.
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