It’s a busy few weeks for construction crews trying to complete several new school builds and upgrades across Simcoe County. “Our school at St. Vincent de Paul is much more than a new building,” says Deanna Boniello, the principal at St. Vincent de Paul, a new elementary school set to open in Bradford. Boniello was joined by the Minister of Education this morning as they stood outside the new soon-to-be-ready school. “We’re excited to be the first principal, first vice principal, first staff, first JKs and first Grade 8s graduating. We’re really excited here,” says Boniello. The new school will have space for just over 500 students and will provide 49 licensed childcare spaces. The total cost is just over $27 million. The Catholic board is also opening an elementary school in Tottenham this year. Later this fall, Holy Trinity in Bradford West Gwillimbury is opening up a new addition to its current building, creating 276 new seats. “There’s a focus on lots of sunlight into the space. The classrooms themselves have a ton of windows in the classrooms, so it is about creating a bright and good learning space and a space where students want to be,” says Craig Elliot, the manager of capital projects for the board. In Alcona, work is underway on a new elementary school. The Simcoe County District School Board has received approval to issue the tender for the project. This school will have space for more than 600 students. “We have additional projects that we will be opening in September of 2027, including a school in Barrie and a school in Angus,” says Dawn Stevens with the Simcoe County District School Board. “This fall, 35 new and expanded schools are opening across Ontario. We have invested more than $1 billion to deliver the new and expanded schools for the students and families across the province,” says Paul Calandra, the minister of education in Ontario. In all, the province is creating 18,000 new student spaces this year, plus another 1,100 childcare spaces.
