Beaverton school expected to be completed next year

DAN CEARNS, The Standard

BROCK: The new Beaverton Public School construction project is one of several school projects to have their completion dates moved ahead one year.

At a Durham District School Board (DDSB) meeting, on Monday, January 23rd, trustees saw an update report on the board's construction projects. The new Beaverton Public School was among four schools to have the completion date moved to September 2024. Previously, these projects had a completion date of September 2023. The other projects included two schools in Oshawa and one in Pickering.

"The new school will replace and consolidate Beaverton Public School and Thorah Central Public School, on the Beaverton Public School site in Beaverton," the report explained.

Trustees were informed, the board had made some progress on the Beaverton project so far.

"I'm happy to report we are progressing well up in Beaverton," Lisa Bianca, the board's Head of Facilities Services, said. "We have awarded the construction contract, and we anxiously await a [Ministry of Education] announcement, so we may proceed to construction in the Spring."

Pickering trustee, Emma Cunningham questioned why multiple projects have had their completion deadlines extended.

"The approval process with the Ministry is quite lengthy. We have submitted for approvals for some projects, and over the past three years, the nature of the cost of construction has risen so precipitously, the funding we received in 2017 or 2018 simply wasn't sufficient to actually build the projects," Ms. Bianca responded.

The board first received Ministry approval, to build the new Beaverton school, in February 2018.

"Thank you so much for your work on the Beaverton/Thorah rebuild. Understanding the first Ministry approval was granted five years ago. It has taken us that long, but we are moving [ahead]," Brock, Uxbridge and Scugog Trustee, Carolyn Morton stated.