The Near North District School Board is welcoming word the province is looking to find out their capital project priorities.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced Monday the province will begin accepting funding applications and is asking school boards to submit capital projects for consideration.

Near North Board chair Jay Aspin says they have couple of projects that top the list.

“The priority for us is our two new schools, the replacement of WJ Fricker in North Bay and Parry Sound High School,” he says. “We’re getting busy and prepared and certainly appreciate this announcement from the ministry.”

“(Fricker) has been on the books for quite a while and we’re quite excited we can move ahead with it,” Aspin adds.

He also says there’s more than just new schools to build.

“There are a number of restorations if you will, repairs to buildings. I won’t even begin to sort out that priority, we have to meet as a board,” he says.

As for the high school situation in North Bay and the previous board’s decision to close Widdifield Secondary School, Aspin says that process is starting over.

“As a new board, we were in the process of revisiting that decision anyway and the Ombudsman’s report reinforced, not only that we have to revisit, but how to revisit it,” he says.

Aspin adds that process will be done before a decision is made.

Monday’s announcement from the Ministry of Education invited school boards to submit their top 10 school-based capital priorities for funding consideration.

These are the school boards’ highest priority capital projects required within the next three years.

“We are investing in our students and their futures by building new schools and renovating existing schools because I believe better schools mean better learning environments for the next generation,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education.

The program will also provide funding for school-based child care spaces as part of the government’s commitment to build up to 10,000 new child care spaces in schools.

The Ministry of Education reviews all Capital Priorities submissions for eligibility and announces successful projects annually.

 

(File photo by station staff)

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