Ontario Building New School in Scarborough

May 24, 2024

Province more than doubles funding to build new schools, faster

NEWS

May 24, 2024

SCARBOROUGH, ON ― The Ontario government is investing $20.1 million in the Conseil scolaire Viamonde for the new École élémentaire publique Toronto Beaches-Cliffside, helping working families in Toronto as announced by Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education.

This will support the creation of 380 student and 73 licensed child care spaces in Toronto as part of the government’s commitment to building state-of-the-art learning spaces for Ontario students.

This project is part of a $1.3 billion plan that more than doubles funding to build new schools and expansions, including child care spaces, announced by Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, as part of the Capital Priorities Program.

The overall investment, which is the highest ever made in a single year, supports the creation of more than 27,000 new student spaces and more than 1,700 licensed child care spaces at schools across Ontario.

“Our government is more than doubling the funding to build new schools, which represents the single largest investment in school building in Ontario history,” said Minister Lecce. “We are stepping up with a massive investment to build the homes, schools, and communities our province needs, and to ensure children have access to state-of-the-art schools close to home that gives them real life and job skills to succeed in the future.”

Ontario’s government unveiled a new plan to build faster, including providing school boards with more flexibility and support to get shovels in the ground quicker and have more options to use existing buildings in their communities. These changes are part of the government’s plan to ensure that the public education system focuses on what matters most: important life-long skills such as reading, writing and math; improving accountability and transparency for parents and families; and maximizing capital assets.

“Our government is investing in new schools and improved infrastructure across the province to support the needs of Ontario’s students, families, and growing communities.” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “These are part of our historic investment of more than $190 billion over the next ten years to build and deliver the critical infrastructure Ontarians deserve today, and for future generations to come.”

The 2024 Budget: Building a Better Ontario continues to support the province’s work being delivered in the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act to build schools faster and better use taxpayer-funded assets.

“The Conseil welcomes this announcement and thanks the Government of Ontario for providing funding for the construction of a new elementary school in Toronto’s east end,” said Vice-Chair of the board, Benoit Fortin.

École élémentaire publique Toronto Beaches-Cliffside will be located at a site to be acquired in Toronto.

QUOTES

“By investing in the new École élémentaire publique Toronto Beaches-Cliffside, our government is saying yes to families who want their children to learn in French. We will continue to support the rapidly growing Francophone community of Toronto and ensure that the next generation of Francophone and bilingual young people achieve lifelong success.”

– Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Francophone Affairs

“There’s no question that French-language education is critically important to our province’s cultural mosaic, and to our future prosperity. Our government is stepping up to support French-language education and hard-working families across Toronto.”

– Aris Babikian, MPP for Scarborough-Agincourt

“Our government understands that preparing today’s students for the jobs of the future starts with building state-of-the-art schools that are closer to home. Ontario’s investment in the new École élémentaire publique Toronto Beaches-Cliffside demonstrates our government’s commitment to helping students in Scarborough and across the province reach their full potential.”

– Raymond Cho, MPP for Scarborough North

“After a decade of neglect by the Liberals, supported by the NDP to close over 600 schools across the province, I’m proud to say our government is taking a different approach. Our government is listening to hard-working Toronto families, guardians, and caregivers, and we are delivering modern classrooms for their kids.”

– David Smith, MPP for Scarborough Centre

“Our government is building and expanding schools across Toronto. This investment will ensure that students have access to a quality learning environment in the years ahead.”

– Vijay Thanigasalam, MPP for Scarborough-Rouge Park