Four years after the announcement of a new Belmont public school, the Thames Valley District School Board has been given the green light to begin the tender process.
The province’s Ministry of Education also announced an additional $9.8 million in funding to cover the increased construction costs.
With a capacity of 507 students, the total investment is now $21.9 million.
That’s up almost $10 million from a year ago when the province announced an increase in size from the original enrolment of 345 students and a price tag of $12.2 million.
The school board will officially go to tender once it finalizes servicing solutions with the Municipality of Central Elgin.
In a media release, Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Rob Flack noted, “This is another important investment in education for Elgin-Middlesex-London. Belmont has a growing population coupled with strong economic growth, which is in line with what we’re experiencing in Elgin and Middlesex counties.”
The facility is expected to open in time for the 2026-27 school year.
It was to originally have opened for the 2023-24 school year, however the school board and the developer failed to reach common ground on land needed for the building in the sixth phase of the Craigholme Estate subdivision on Concession 7, west of Belmont Road.
In August, 2022 Thames Valley District School Board trustees voted to acquire land for the new Belmont school through the Expropriations Act.
In making the funding announcement in 2020, then MPP Jeff Yurek noted, “It means a new, safe facility for young learners in the South Dorchester, Westminster and Belmont communities. It means that Springfield and New Sarum students will continue to benefit from the tradition of great things happening in those schools.
“It means that rural children will not spend a significant portion of the day on a school bus and instead can learn and grow as part of their home communities.
“And finally, it means East and Central Elgin remain viable places for those students to grow up in and build a future.”
