The NG Times Newspaper

At the Upper Canada District School Board’s meeting last week, Trustees were informed of the progress on the new Kemptville Public School to be located on the west side of County Road 44 in Kemptville, Ontario.

With a project budget of $13.3M provided by the Ontario Ministry of Education, Kemptville Public School began construction in 2016 and was originally scheduled to open on January 8, 2018. Due to faster than anticipated construction, the project is currently ahead of schedule and forecast to come to conclusion slightly under budget. The Upper Canada District School Board is now planning to receive students in the new school at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year in September 2017, pending construction of a new municipal sanitary extension to service the school and fulfilling of the requirements to obtain an occupancy permit.

“We are thrilled that, as of June 16, work by general contractor Robert J Bourgon and Associates Ltd. is virtually complete and, pending the municipal sanitary extension and receipt of the occupancy permit, Kemptville Public School will be ready to receive students at the start of the next school year. It is our hope that they will not have to move mid-year as originally planned,” said Jeremy Hobbs, Superintendent of Human Resources, Information Technology, and Facilities.

The Superintendent further cautioned that while the sanitary extension to tie the school into the municipal sewer system was originally scheduled to be completed in time for September, recent concerns about water and rock mean that this may not be achieved in time. He went on to explain that the Board is currently working in conjunction with the Municipality of North Grenville to develop contingency plans, should the sanitary extension not be completed in time, that are subject to approvals and feasibility, including a temporary overland pumping station. If none are identified, the 2017-18 school year will begin in the current Kemptville Public School until the new school is ready to receive students.

“I’m very happy to hear that students in the Kemptville area will soon be well-served by this new modern facility,” said local Trustee Lisa Swan. “It is truly exciting to hear that this project is ready to go, pending the municipal sanitary extension and occupancy permit. It is my hope that the sanitary extension (or a contingency plan) will be ready in time for the 2017-18 school year.”

This new school is over 4,000 square metres and is designed to be a showcase for the community. It features modern classrooms, project/resource rooms adjacent to some classrooms, air conditioning, an open, multi-function resource space with a stage, in addition to a gymnasium and a large green space for a yard. The school includes dedicated busing drop-off and pick-up laneways on the grounds to ensure the safety and security of all Kemptville Public School students.

Tours of the school as well as an official opening date will be announced in the upcoming months.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here