Government breaks ground on new school in West St. Paul

Construction of a new K-8 school is underway in West St. Paul’s Meadowlands community.

The Seven Oaks School division and the provincial government celebrated the beginning of construction for a new school in West St. Paul.

A groundbreaking ceremony took place Tuesday at the site of Ecole Meadowlands School, a new kindergarten to grade 8 school announced for the community.

“Communities like West St. Paul are growing quickly and building new schools like this one is just one of the ways that our government is ensuring that students have the spaces and the resources that they need to succeed and to learn,” Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt said at the news conference.

The province said the school will hold 675 students but will be designed to hold up to 800 students to support growth. It will be 82,000 square feet in size and include a gymnasium, a child-care facility and specialized learning areas for applied technology and other subjects. The school will also include a geothermal system for heating.

“We aren’t just breaking ground on a new building; We are breaking ground on the future of our children and our community,” said Tiffany Winchar, a trustee with the Seven Oaks School Division. “This school will become a hub in West St. Paul, a gathering place where neighbours connect, where children discover their potential.”

The Seven Oaks School Division is hoping to have the school open in 2027.