The Ministry of Education is spending $17.1 million to build a new Protestant separate school in Penetanguishenene. Education Minister Stephen Lecce stopped in the community on Wednesday (May 1) to announce the funding for a new Burkevale Protestant Separate School alongside school board officials and Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop. The school will accommodate 363 students.
Our government’s commitment to investing in a new state-of-the-art school for Burkevale facing challenges of overcrowding and aging infrastructure is a momentous step forward, Dunlop said. This initiative will not only improve student learning but also provide essential space for our dedicated staff and students, fostering an environment conducive to success.
We are confident that this investment will lead to significant improvements in student outcomes and contribute positively to the future of education in Penetanguishene.
A site for the school — a replacement for the existing Burkevale Protestant Separate School, the only Protestant separate school in the province — is still to be acquired.
We are thrilled that the Ministry of Education has approved our capital priority proposal for a new (school), said Protestant Separate School Board Supervisory Officer Tim Overholt. Our students, school staff, families and board staff will benefit from a new, modern, state of the art facility. We are very thankful and appreciative for all the support we have received from our community.
Lecce said the project is part of the provincial government’s $1.3 billion plan to build new schools and expansions, including childcare spaces.
Our government is more than doubling the funding to build new schools, which represents the single largest investment in school building in Ontario history, Lecce said. We are stepping up with a massive investment to build the homes, schools, and communities our province needs, and to ensure children have access to state-of-the-art schools close to home that gives them real life and job skills to succeed in the future.
