Investment will Support Access to Quality Education and Child Care Opportunities
The Ontario government is investing $19.9 million to build a new Northglen Neighbourhood School to support working families in Clarington. This investment in the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board announced by David Piccini, MPP for Northumberland-Peterborough South, will support the creation of 769 student spaces as part of the Ford Government’s commitment to building modern, accessible, and technologically connected schools for Ontario youth.
The project is part of a provincewide investment of more than $600 million to support new school and child care spaces that were recently announced by Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. The overall investment will support 78 school and child care related projects. In all, the investment will create more than 19,700 new student spaces and 1,500 child care spaces at schools across the province.
“In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made safer schools a priority, which is why we continue to invest in modern and accessible learning spaces with improved ventilation,” said Minister Lecce. “This investment is part of our multiyear plan to build, expand, and update schools and child care spaces across our province. It will leave a lasting legacy that benefits working families for years to come.”
The investment is part of the Ontario government’s commitment to provide $14 billion to support school construction over ten years. There are currently more than 300 child care and education building-related projects in development across Ontario with more than 100 actively under construction.
“The new school in Clarington is great news for local families,” said MPP David Piccini. “This investment will provide choice and flexibility for families and new opportunities for the children of Clarington.”
“Building a new Northglen Neighbourhood School will provide students with the modern facilities they deserve to flourish in their academic pursuits,” said Sam Oosterhoff, the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education. “Through these projects like these, our government is also helping to create well-paid jobs and supporting the long-term growth of communities across Ontario.”
Ontario’s investment in new and updated schools will create the foundation for a modern learning environment for hundreds of students across the province.
Highlights of the project include:
· 769 student spaces.
· 73 new licensed child care spaces.
· Four new child care rooms.
“We believe it’s important to provide wrap-around service for students and families, from preschool to graduation. We extend our sincere thanks to the provincial government for this capital investment making it possible for us to bring that vision to life with a new school in the Northglen community,” says Diane Lloyd, Chairperson of the Board, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. “The enrolment pressures we are experiencing in the Clarington area are significant, and this funding is much needed to address these challenges. We are very excited for the opportunity to build this new school, which we know will benefit our students and families in Bowmanville for many years to come.”
The Ontario government has allocated more than $600 million to support ventilation improvements in schools across Ontario as part of its plans for a safer return to school. The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board has benefited from an investment of almost $12 million for ventilation improvements and has over 1000 HEPA filter units in place.
QUICK FACTS
· On November 4, the province released the 2021 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review: Build Ontario. The plan lays out how the government will build the foundation for Ontario’s recovery and prosperity by getting shovels in the ground on projects like new schools and child care.
· Since 2018, the Ontario government has invested over $1.5 billion in capital projects in education, including 76 new schools, 75 additions and renovations to existing facilities and 4,908 new licensed child care places.
· For 2021-22, the province is also providing school boards with $1.4 billion in funding to renew and maintain existing schools.
· The governments of Canada and Ontario are providing $656.5 million in funding for critical infrastructure projects to protect students and staff from COVID-19 in the province’s schools through the COVID-19 Resilience stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
· The federal government provides 2.5 per cent of the total cost support for early learning and child care operating expenses in Ontario, with Ontario families, the provincial and municipal governments providing the remainder.
· Ontario has provided emergency child care for the school-aged children of frontline workers, including public safety and health care workers, as well as those working with vulnerable populations, at no out-of-pocket cost. In 2021, at its peak, this program provided over 12,000 children with high-quality child care each day across 717 sites province-wide.
· Ontario is providing a 20 per cent enhancement of the Childcare Access and Relief from Expenses (CARE) tax credit for 2021. This will increase support from $1,250 to $1,500 per family, on average, providing about $75 million in additional support for the 2021 child care expenses of over 300,000 families.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
