A new elementary school planned for East City in Peterborough is facing delays.
The yet-to-be-named school will replace both the King George and Armour Heights public schools.
The building will be constructed adjacent to the historic King George school on Hunter Street and had been scheduled to open in September 2019.
However, in a letter issued to parents on Monday, the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board stated that target date won’t be reached.
“We’re certainly disappointed there’s a delay. We’ve been working with the city on all assessments, tests and environmental issues, but with that, there are delays. But on the plus side, this will be a school worth waiting for,” said Diane Lloyd, chair of Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.
“There’s a silver lining here, the school is going to be one of the most innovative designs in the province, having it delayed isn’t a bad thing. They have more time to get it right. It will be great in 2020 instead of 2019,” said Gary Baldwin, Ashburnham Ward Councillor.
The board says site plan requirements including assessments, drainage work, reducing environmental impacts and roadwork for an access to Museum Drive will delay the school’s startup.
“We continue to work through all of these items cooperatively with City of Peterborough staff,” a newsletter states.
“As we move forward, recognizing the time it takes to complete this extensive process, it has become clear that we won’t be able to open our new school in September 2019 as initially planned.”
The school board says a new opening date will be provided once it receives site plan approval.
“We hope to be able to provide this information through an update this fall,” the board states.
In October 2016, the province announced $13 million for the modernized school for approximately 675 students from kindergarten to Grade 8. The school will feature an outdoor classroom, a French Immersion program and child care centre. It’s also selected as one of the first Design Innovation Sites in Ontario/
“The architectural design for the new school incorporates innovative ideas for modern learning spaces, and staff at both schools are now investigating complementary teaching practices that will maximize student engagement,” the board said.
The school will be the first new elementary school to be built in Peterborough since Roger Neilson Public School opened in the city’s south end in 2004.
After extensive public consultations and studies, an accommodation review in February 2016 recommended the amalgamation of King George and Armour Heights due to declining enrolment and rising maintenance costs for the aging buildings.
The report stated the 105-year-old King George school was at 80 per cent student capacity with 232 students, nearly half of what it was 15 years ago; Armour Heights, which opened in 1954, was at 73 per cent of its capacity with 225 students, down 150 students from 15 years ago.
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