Province pledges new school for Oro-Medonte

The site of a new elementary school on Horseshoe Valley Road in Oro-Medonte, Ont. (CTV News/Catalina Gillies)

Children in Oro-Medonte will soon enjoy that new school smell.

Today, the province announced it will fund the new Oro-Medonte Elementary School and Community Centre in the Coulson area with the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB).

Once completed, the Oro-Medonte Elementary School and Community Centre will include a full-size gymnasium with an auditorium (shared space with the school board), a multi-purpose space (for the township), and trails around the property.

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This is supported by an investment of nearly $30 million, which includes $8.5 million from the Township of Oro-Medonte for the community centre.

"For years, the people of Oro-Medonte have highlighted the need for a new school to serve the growing population of families moving to the area," said MPP for Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte Doug Downey. "This new school guarantees that children will receive high-quality education right in their own community."

When the Oro-Medonte Elementary School and Community Centre was first announced in 2018, the school was initially approved for 357 students, with funding of $8.5 million.

Once completed, this project will deliver 570 spaces for elementary students, with up to $23.8 million in capital funding. This is an increase of 213 pupils, and up to $15.3 million in funding from the ministry of education.

Oro-Medonte also increased its funding contribution from $6.8 million to $8.5 million.

"We are proud to deliver a new, state-of-the-art Oro-Medonte Elementary School and Community Centre for local families, along with increasing funding, staffing and a back-to-basics focus on reading, writing and math skills to help ensure students graduate with confidence that they can succeed in good-paying careers," said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education.

Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure, Kinga Surma, said by investing in modern learning spaces, the province is ensuring students have access to the quality education that will be provided to them in a safe and healthy environment.

"These investments are one of the ways we're delivering on our promise to build Ontario, with an infrastructure budget of more than $148 billion over the next decade," said Surma.

The Oro-Medonte Elementary School and Community Centre will be located at 739 Horseshoe Valley Road.

"We are pleased to partner with the Township of Oro-Medonte on this new and innovative joint-use facility that will serve the learning needs of students and provide opportunity for community use in an area of Simcoe County that continues to experience significant growth," said John Dance, Director of Education