Public board OKs plan to spend millions on school improvements

Algoma District School Board trustees have given their approval to the board to proceed with $15 million worth of capital projects in 2023-24.

The approval came at Tuesday evening’s regular monthly board meeting.

Especially noteworthy for 2023-24 is separate Capital Priority approval from the Ministry of Education of approximately $50.5 million to build a new JK to 12 school in Blind River.

That project - previously announced by the ADSB Nov. 17 - will be shared by the ADSB and Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord and will create space for 381 JK-12 students, 64 in child-care and 72 at the French-language elementary level. 

Funding for school condition improvement projects is $11,994,493 while funding for facility renewal is $3,242,978.

Deferred capital funding will be used to top up any 2023-24 projects that exceed funding. 

ADSB schools and projects included in the $65,759,232 bundle for 2023-24 include:

• Elliot Lake Secondary School, courtyard, stair and handrail
• Isabel Fletcher, interior upgrades
• Central Avenue (Elliot Lake), boiler pumps
• Hornepayne JK-12, lighting upgrade
• Kina Awiya, boiler controls
• Korah Collegiate, west entrance upgrades
• River View, interior upgrades
• White Pines Collegiate, tech upgrades
• Tarentorus, elementary and child care additions and renovations
• HM Robbins, child care addition and Kindergarten upgrades
• Blind River, ADSB and Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord student spaces, four new child care rooms (64 new child care spaces) and two-room EarlyOn Child and Family Centre