CDSBEO Receives Capital Funding for School Addition and Child Care Spaces in Three Communities
The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario has received approval for three capital project requests that were submitted to the Ministry of Education. The funding is being provided through the Ministry of Education’s Capital Priorities Program and the School-based Early Years Capital Program. The three projects which received funding approval include: Holy Name of Mary Catholic School (Almonte), St. Joseph’s Catholic School (Gananoque), and St. Finnan’s Catholic School (Alexandria).
Holy Name of Mary Catholic School in Almonte will receive $4.9 million for the construction of a six-classroom addition and daycare.
“The school currently has five portables on site, and the addition of six classrooms will provide our students with a more energy efficient, modern learning environment. The community is also very excited to be receiving a full-time daycare program for toddlers and preschoolers in a new facility,” noted Board Chair, Todd Lalonde.
“Almonte is a growing community and the addition of permanent classrooms and a daycare is much needed for the school. Our students deserve to learn in permanent facilities, and I know this will help meet both the needs of the community, as well as the students, for the long term,” explained Lanark County Trustee, Nancy Kirby.
The six-classroom addition and daycare are planned to open in late 2018.
The CDSBEO has also received $1.1 million in capital funding from the Ministry of Education’s Early Years Capital Program for a daycare addition at St. Joseph Catholic School in Gananoque. The daycare will include sufficient space to accommodate a toddler and preschool program at the school site, and will be supported and operated by the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.
“I’m pleased to see the young children of Gananoque and the surrounding area receiving access to licensed childcare that is part of our school community. This is an excellent way for our youngest learners to be exposed to school in the early years,” noted Leeds County Trustee, Robin Reil.
The daycare addition is expected to open in September 2018.
The CDSBEO will also receive $268,000 through the Early Years Capital Program to complete an internal retrofit that will accommodate an infant/toddler daycare program at St. Finnan’s Catholic School in Alexandria.
“The addition of this daycare helps support the government’s announcement to create access to licensed child care for 100,000 more children aged 0 to 4 years old over the next five years. We are pleased that our school was selected to help meet this need,” stated City of Cornwall and Glengarry County Trustee, and Board Vice-Chair, Ron Eamer.
“Families in the community of Alexandria, as well as other areas that are receiving similar funding, will now have access to quality childcare in their local Catholic school. This arrangement is so beneficial to the students, who are able to then transition seamlessly into their Kindergarten program,” noted City of Cornwall and Glengarry County Trustee, and Board Chair, Todd Lalonde.
The retrofit at St. Finnan’s is supported by the City of Cornwall and is expected to be complete for September 2018.