Board officially approves $30 million in renovations and additions to several schools

Algoma District School Board trustees officially approved major improvements for several ADSB schools at their regular monthly meeting Tuesday.

The cost of capital project work starting in summer 2024 is approximately $30 million.

Funding for the projects comes from about $15 million annually from the Ontario Ministry of Education and capital priority funding approved by the province through a separate application for larger unique needs, said Joe Santa Maria, ADSB’s deputy director of corporate services and operations. He’s talking to the board.

Funding from a separate application pays for the new application Three Rivers JK-12 School in Blind Riversaid Santa Maria.

The $50.5 million school will be shared by ADSB and Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord and will be located at 158 ​​Youngfox Rd. In Blind River.

There will be 381 JK-12 spaces, 64 child care spaces and 72 French primary school spaces for families in the area.

Construction is ongoing and ADSB aims to have Three Rivers completed by 2026.

“We are proud to build a new school in Blind River, replacing two older buildings,” Santa Maria said.

ADSB also received approval from the Department in early November for $8.9 million for updates and additions. H.M. Robbins Public School.

This funding includes the addition and strengthening of 26 students at HM Robbins Public School, as well as the development of 83 East Balfour St. This also applies to the additional four-room childcare facility (64 childcare spaces) at the school located at .

The Department for Education has allocated a total of $2.6 million in capital priorities funding and $5.5 million in childcare capital funding for the HM Robbins project. ADSB will also use $721,665 from this year’s school renovation allocation for this project.

Projects discussed at the October meeting and officially approved by the board of trustees at Tuesday’s meeting include:

• White Pines Collegiate store upgrades
• Korah Collegiate west entrance as well as other interior and exterior improvements
• Tarentorus Public School nursery and two new classrooms
• Isabel Fletcher Public School interior and exterior improvements
• Interior improvements to River View Public School, including a renovated main entrance and front office
• Chapleau School outdoor classroom for JK-12

Work on the nursery and two new classrooms of Tarentorus Public School has been completed.

Two more summer construction seasons will be needed to complete the White Pines Collegiate store upgrades, with ADSB expected to be completed in 2026.

Two phases have been completed in this project, including robotics and computer areas and recently a new automobile workshop.

32 of ADSB’s 41 schools have been renovated in the last few years.

“We are so grateful for our continued progress and for using these funds to innovate and provide more learning space for our students,” said Jennifer Sarlo, ADSB president.