KRISTEN CUCAN, Office of MPP Lindsey Park
DURHAM: Lindsey Park, Member of Provincial Parliament for Durham, announced the Durham District School Board will be receiving $14.3 million for the funding of a new elementary school with childcare in North Oshawa.
Highlights of this new school include: 536 new elementary student spaces; 73 new licensed childcare spaces; and four childcare rooms. “These are not just investments in bricks and mortar, our government is investing in the future of our children, by creating a better learning environment,” shared Ms. Park. “We are providing north Oshawa students access to modern classroom settings and the latest technology, while also giving families more childcare options in their child’s early years.”
On October 20th, 2020, the Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, announced an accelerated investment of $550 million to support a new round of local capital priorities for 2020-2021.
“The approval of this new school is good news for families in Oshawa and will help address the growth pressures we are experiencing. I look forward to seeing it open its doors to the current and future elementary students, expected to attend and go onto secondary school,” explained Michael Barrett, DDSB Trustee, Oshawa.
“The DDSB is thankful to the Ministry of Education for approving this new school,” stated Darlene Forbes, DDSB Trustee, Oshawa. “I look forward to our continued engagement with the Government of Ontario, in order to ensure the educational needs of families in Oshawa are well served.”
This investment also includes support for the building of 20 new schools, 8 permanent additions across the province, creating over 15,000 new student learning spaces in schools and 870 new licensed childcare spaces. It is critical Ontario continues to invest in safe modern schools that meet the needs of students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This investment builds on the government’s commitment of up to $1 billion over five years to create up to 30,000 new childcare spaces, as well as up to 10,000 spaces in new schools.
“This government firmly believes your children deserve to learn in state of the art, modern, technologically connected and accessible schools,” said Minister Lecce. “We will continue to take action, like the new North Oshawa Public School, to ensure students are safe today and well into the future, by approving more new school buildings and permanent additions, and increasing access to childcare for working parents.”