The Thames Valley District School Board is getting an additional $17.1 million from the provincial government toward the construction of two new elementary schools in London.
The Ministry of Education committed to the extra funding for both schools as it granted approval for the board to begin the tender process on Friday.
"Enrolment in our board is growing now more than ever,” said Mark Fisher, the board's director of education. “We want to thank the Ministry as well as our municipal and community partners for their support. Thames Valley will continue to work hard to meet the needs of students and families. I sincerely believe these schools and child care centres will have a lasting positive impact.”
The one school will be built in the northwest-end on the southwest corner of the Sunningdale Road West and Fair Oaks Boulevard intersection. The $28.7 million state-of-the-art building will have space for 802 students and 88 licensed child care spots. The other new school will be located in the southwest-end, likely on the northeast corner of Pack Road and Regiment Road. This $28.8 million facility will have a capacity for 804 students and a child care centre with 88 licensed spaces.
Of the newly approved additional funding, the northwest school will get $9.1 million, while the southwest school will receive $8 million.
Construction will begin in the new year, once contractors have been selected and final construction costs are approved by the minister, the board said. The schools are slated to open their doors in September 2025.
