Two Sault high schools to be consolidated into one

Trustees of the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board voted tonight to consolidate St. Mary’s College, St. Basil Secondary School and Holy Angels Learning Centre into one new $60 million mega school.

The decision is the top priority of the board's new capital plan, says Sam Colizza, manager of plant services.

Although trustees approved the plan tonight, there are still a lot of steps to go through before construction of any new Catholic secondary school can begin, Colizza said.

The board began - but did not finish - an accommodation review process in 2008 that included some consultations with parents, staff, community groups and other stakeholders in schools that would be affected by consolidations.

The process was suspended in the spring of 2009 because the Ministry of Education did not announce funding that would be needed to replace schools under review for closure.

Now, the board must continue that accomodation review process through to its conclusion, at which time senior school administrators will bring a series of recommendations to the board.

If the board decides then to continue with the capital plan it approved tonight, and if the ministry approves funding for the planned capital improvements, then the board would select a site and begin planning the new school.

The board is hoping to have the megaschool open by September 2013, Colizza said.

That means planning would have to start by fall of 2011.

Once the new Catholic secondary school is opened and the students have moved from St. Basil Secondary School, then the second phase of the capital plan would begin.

If the plan is approved by the ministry, St. Basil will undergo a $2 million refit to be transformed into the Catholic central elementary school.

Four central schools will be consolidated into it.

It's not yet certain which four schools will be consolidated.

"The identified elementary schools are St. Ann, St. Bernadette, St. Pius X," Colizza said. "It will also be either St. Theresa or St. John Catholic schools."

More parental input is needed before the board can make a decision about which school to include in the consolidation.

The board also plans to consolidate schools in Elliot Lake.

An addition is planned for Our Lady of Lourdes School to accommodate both the students of that school and those of Our Lady of Fatima school.

The board hopes to have that completed in September 2015.

To accommodate the expanding French immersion program, the board plans to construct an addition to St. Francis School that will include space for the full-day early learning kindergarten program.

The following news release was issued tonight by the school board:

************************* New capital plan unveiled

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON - The Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board (HSCDSB) has revealed its updated five-year capital plan.

The Ministry of Education requires boards to submit updated capital plans by January 28.

The HSCDSB plan proposes six major projects, one which includes the construction of a new Catholic secondary school in Sault Ste. Marie.

These projects are contingent on accommodation review consultations, recommendations to and approvals by the board and ministry funding approvals.

Proposed Sault Ste. Marie Projects

The new Catholic secondary school would see the consolidation of St. Basil Secondary, St. Mary’s College and the Holy Angels Learning Centre, with construction of a new facility with an estimated cost of $60 million.

The Board has been investigating potential sites for the new Catholic secondary school, which under the Capital Plan, would open in September 2013.

“With St. Mary’s College close to being declared prohibitive to repair we determined that exploring a consolidated Catholic secondary school was necessary. We are confident that our case for a consolidated school is in the best interests of our Catholic community, the Board and the province,” said Director of Education John Stadnyk.

“We hope that the Ministry of Education supports our goal of creating a new and vibrant Catholic learning environment for our students. We have utilized our current facilities to their fullest extent and this appears to be the best plan for the future,” added HSCDSB Chair Laurie Aceti.

If Ministry approval is given for a new Catholic secondary school, the Board’s Capital Plan proposes a consolidation of elementary schools (City Central) at the current St. Basil Secondary site beginning in September 2014.

The approximate cost for the proposed project would be $2 million.

The identified elementary schools are St. Ann, St. Bernadette, St. Pius X and possibly St. Theresa and/or St. John Catholic Schools.

The Board also hopes to construct a $2.4 million addition to St. Francis Catholic School which would accommodate enrolment increases occurring due to growth of St. Francis as a French Immersion school.

The project would be completed by September 2013.

Other projects in Sault Ste. Marie include additions to be completed at St. John (if it is not part of the City Central consolidation) by September 2014 and St. Mary’s French Immersion Catholic School by September 2015.

Proposed Elliot Lake Project

The Board’s Capital Plan also proposes a consolidation of its schools in Elliot Lake.

A $3.4 million addition would be built at Our Lady of Lourdes French Immersion Catholic School to accommodate students from Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School.

The targeted completion date for the project would be September 2015.

“The reality of declining enrolment is a key component of this proposal. We want to maximize the learning experience of our students and consolidating these schools is the best way to achieve that goal,” said Stadnyk.

“Trustees realize this is a very emotional process for both school communities. We are confident that the strengths of each school will combine to create a stronger Catholic learning experience for our students, said Aceti.

Information on the accommodation review process will be announced at a later date.

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