The Rainy River District School Board is pleased to announce that we have received approval from the Ministry of Education on three of our projects and are now moving forward on the Rainy River K-12, Child Care and EarlyON Child and Family Centre Project; the Atikokan K-12, Child Care and EarlyON Child and Family Centre Project; and the Donald Young School Child Care Project.
The Ministry approved additional funding for a new consolidated school, with a 39-space childcare and an EarlyON Centre for Rainy River for a total amount of $10,063,039. This in addition to the previously approved funding brings the total to $16,842,065. RRDSB will soon be looking at the school site to determine a suitable location for the new build. We will also begin engagement with an architect and work on designs for the new school, which we hope to have finalized by late spring 2021. Through the design phase, we will complete a series of estimates to ensure that we are on budget in order to proceed to tender.
The Ministry also approved the Board’s request for an Approval to Proceed (ATP) to tender the addition to and renovation of Atikokan High School to support the consolidation with North Star Community School, including three child care rooms and an EarlyON centre, for a total amount of $30,949,076. The Atikokan K-12, Child Care and EarlyON Child and Family Centre Project is expected to go to tender in mid-August and will close at the end of September.
Finally, the Ministry approved Board’s request for a revised Approval to Proceed (ATP) in order to award a three-room child care centre addition at Donald Young Public School in Emo to support additional costs. Work is now underway for the 49-space child care centre. The project was tendered and awarded to Tom Jones.
“From modernizing our curriculum to revitalizing our classrooms and their facilities, we are investing in our students and giving them every tool to achieve their full potential,” said Education Minister Stephen Lecce. “Our financing of these three projects for Rainy River District further demonstrates our government’s historic investment in Ontario’s schools and our overall commitment to supporting our students and families.”
“In building a new consolidated school in Rainy River, a renovated consolidated school in Atikokan, and adding numerous child care spaces, we are laying the groundwork to support a culture of lifelong learning and the Board's commitment to providing high quality academic programming and enhanced opportunities for both our students and their families,” said Raymond Roy, Chair of the Board.
These newly approved Capital Priorities projects bring the ministry’s total capital investment in the Rainy River District School Board to a total of $52 million for four projects that have been approved through the Capital Priorities, School Consolidation Capital and Child Care Capital Programs over the years.
Read the full press release