Guelph will be receiving its first public high school in over 50 years.
MPP Liz Sandals said Friday the province has approved the construction of a new high school at the intersection of Arkell and Victoria roads in the south end of the city. She says the board had been rallying for close to four years for the project’s approval.
The approval is part of a new set of provincial investments to build 39 new schools and renovate an additional 40 across Ontario. The province is investing about $25.5 million into the new Guelph school, expected to accommodate nearly 900 secondary students.
The new school would become the city’s fourth public high school, and the first built by the public board since Centennial CVI opened its doors in 1967.
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The school is not slated to open for at least a few years. The school’s construction would ideally start within two to three years, as planning and development has yet to get underway, and the city would need to perform some rezoning to accommodate the new structure, said Paul Scinocca, director of operations for Upper Grand District School Board.
In a press release sent out by the province and the school board, director of education Martha Rogers says: “On behalf of the students, staff and parents in the Upper Grand DSB, I would like to thank the Ministry of Education very much for their continued support of our Board. We are thrilled to have received approval for this new high school and look forward to creating a learning environment that will serve our students well for many years to come.”
It has yet to be determined if all grades will be filled or if they will fill grades over an extended period of time. Boundaries for student acceptance are also uncertain at this time. Some high schools in Guelph currently accept students from other parts of Wellington County, including Fergus and Elora, leaving questions as to whether or not students from Milton, Puslinch and southwards would be allowed to enroll.
“We’re very excited about this announcement. The last school that was built in Upper Grand School Board was in 1967 in the City of Guelph,” school board chair Linda Busuttil told CJOY News.