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The Near North District School Board is has been approved for two significant capital funding requests resulting from its student accommodation review processes.
According to a release Thursday, capital funding has been committed to build a new elementary school on the W.J. Fricker Public School site at 790 Norman Avenue in North Bay to accommodate Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 students from E.T. Carmichael and E.W. Norman public schools, along with Extended French Grade 5 and 6 students from W.J. Fricker Public School.
The construction of integrated child care facilities has also been approved with 1 Infant, 1 Toddler, 2 Pre-School rooms as well as the construction of a new EarlyON Child and Family Centre.
The board is expected to receive a total of $12.4 million for the Fricker project.
Working in partnership with the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB) and third-party licensee, YMCA Northeastern Ontario, children and families can expect a seamless approach to quality childcare and school programs in one facility, which is anticipated to open in September of 2020, stated the release.
“The District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board is very pleased to support this project, bringing much needed quality early years and childcare services into the education system,” said DNSSAB chair Mark King, in the release. “This is an excellent example of considering what’s effective and convenient for children and families in the Nipissing District.”
W.J. Fricker Public School will close at the end of the 2018-2019 school year. In September 2019, Grade 5 and 6 students from W.J. Fricker will be accommodated at E.W. Norman while the new school is being constructed and the Grade 7 and 8 students from W.J. Fricker will attend the Chippewa site.
As previously announced, child care facilities (one Infant room, one toddler room and one pre-school room) will be included in the design of the new Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 school at 111 Isabella Street in Parry Sound.
Working with the Parry Sound District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB) to further enhance services for families, capital funding of $550,000 has been committed by the Government of Ontario to build a new EarlyON Child and Family Centre at the new school. The Board hopes to be able to tender for architectural services this spring.
“The Board of Trustees are pleased to see another reinvestment of tax dollars supporting our long-term capital plan that modernizes local education in the City of North Bay and the Town of Parry Sound,” said school board chair David Thompson.
The Near North District School Board remains committed to: ensuring that students are accommodated in facilities that are safe and healthy; promoting optimal learning environments; and, offering optimal programming options, states the release.
-reprinted from Nugget