JMEC

South Side Renewal Plan Timeline Extension

At this evening’s Regular Board Meeting, the Lakehead District School Board voted to extend the timeline for the South Side Renewal Plan by one year. The revised timeline for the consolidation of students from Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate and Vocational Institute to Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute will be September 2018. Students from Agnew H. Johnston Public School and Edgewater Park Public will be relocated to a newly constructed elementary school on the Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate site in September 2019.

The Ministry of Education has extended business case submission deadlines and the anticipated approval of funding for school consolidations will now be in late spring of 2017. This extension will not allow sufficient time to complete the required construction and renovations to prepare for the consolidation of students at Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute.

“Trustees have expressed concerns regarding the tight timelines with regard to the South Side Renewal Plan,” says Deborah Massaro, Chair of the Lakehead District School Board. “The one year delay will allow sufficient time to ensure for a successful transition process that is focused on the needs of our students and staff.”

Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate and Vocational Institute students will remain at their current location for the 2017-18 school year.

All Lakehead Public Schools secondary schools will continue to offer a full breadth of programing and co-curricular opportunities for all students.