Replacing Alliston's Banting Memorial High School with a smaller and more efficient building is a priority for the Simcoe County District School Board.
The 2015/2016 capital priorities list presented to trustees this week recommends the aging school, now 66-years old, is in "critical condition" and targets 2019 for the opening of a new building on the same Highway 89 property.
The replacement school carries a $34 million price tag.
The report notes that building a new school is the only viable option.
“The mechanical, electrical, and structural elements of the building are in need of replacement and major repair,” reads the report. “Improvements to most interior finishes, building systems and the building envelope are required and classrooms and specialized teaching spaces do not meet program needs.”
The report also notes that the school’s life safety systems don’t meet current building codes, and that the building needs significant lighting upgrades and major retrofits to meet disability accessibility requirements.
The plan will be reviewed by board trustees later this month and, if approved, will proceed to the Ministry of Education.
Other capital spending priorities include:
- $1 million to construct a septic system at Forest Hill Public School in Midhurst
- $4 million to construct a four-room addition and build a septic system at W.R. Best Elementary School in Oro-Medonte
- $3 million to construct a two-room addition and construct a septic system at Minesing Central Public School
- $14 million to construct a 12-room addition at Bradford District High School
Over the past five years, Bradford DHS enrolment has been stable while the elementary school populartion in the area has increased significantly.
The school was built 36 years ago for 1113 pupils. Enrolment is expected to increase by more than 500 students over the next decade - to over 1,500 students.
