Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) Officials joined Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Flamborough-Glanbrook MPP Donna Skelley Friday (April 12) for an announcement of $22.1M in provincial funding to build a new elementary school in Waterdown, and $9.1M for an addition and renovation at Mount Hope Elementary School.
The new school in Waterdown will be built in the Mountainview Heights neighbourhood, and will be located at the intersection of Skinner Road and Great Falls Boulevard. The new school will create 504 new student spaces for children in Kindergarten to Grade 8, and will include a new 88-space child care centre with two preschool rooms, two toddler rooms, and an infant room. The anticipated date of opening is the 2027-2028 school year.
The addition and renovations at Mount Hope Elementary school will add an additional 178 student spaces through six new classrooms and upgrades to existing interior spaces. The project will include the addition of a new 88-space child care centre with two preschool rooms, two toddler rooms, and an infant room. These improvements will take place with minimum disruption for students; interior renovations will take place during the summer months, and students will continue to attend Mount Hope during the addition process. The anticipated completion date is the 2027-2028 school year.
These investments will ensure that HWDSB can continue to fairly distribute capacity across Hamilton, and ensure that students and families in the rapidly growing communities of Waterdown and Mount Hope have access to modern, spacious, and state-of-the-art learning environments.
Quotes:
"We are grateful that these investments will provide beautiful education spaces in Waterdown and Mount Hope, and provide much-needed child care in these growing communities. This funding from the Ministry of Education will ensure that students in Waterdown and Mount Hope will have the best possible environments in which to learn, grow, and thrive."
-Maria Felix Miller, HWDSB Board Chair and Ward 3 Trustee
"Mount Hope is an ever-growing community, and we know that the additional six classrooms, as well as the interior renovations, will be welcomed school improvements by the students, staff, and families of Mount Hope Elementary. The addition of 88 additional full day childcare spaces is also fantastic news, and I'm thrilled for families to be able to access full day childcare within their own community."
- Amanda Fehrman, Ward 11 & 12 Trustee
"The families of Waterdown and Flamborough are undoubtedly thrilled by the news being shared today, many of which have advocated tirelessly to get us to this moment. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to share this anticipated update, but our work is far from over. Parents tell me all the time: "we don't need a new school in a few years, we need it yesterday" and I'm eager to collaborate further with all levels of government to ensure swift delivery of the quality educational environments our communities deserve."
-Graeme Noble, Ward 15 Trustee
"When we invest in students, we invest in their ability to realize their full potential. This funding will help create much-needed additional facilities, learning spaces and classrooms for HWDSB students. With these investments, HWDSB will be able to enhance and improve learning outcomes, ensuring that every student experiences a sense of belonging and feels supported at every step of their educational journey. We're thankful for the investments from the Ministry of Education that will have such a positive impact on our students' academic outcomes, sense of belonging and learning experiences."
-Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini, Director of Education - HWDSB
"Flamborough-Glanbrook is one of the fastest growing communities in Ontario due to its unlimited potential. By investing in early learning, we are laying the foundation for the next generation of leaders and innovators, to build on this success."
- Donna Skelly, MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook
"Families deserve modern schools that are close to home, so it's critically important that we build new schools and expansions faster, especially in rapidly growing communities. We are proud to deliver a new Waterdown Bay Elementary School and expansion at Mount Hope Elementary School for Waterdown families, which is part of our historic investment of $1.3 billion - the single largest investment in school building in Ontario history - to ensure children have access to state-of-the-art schools that gives them real life and job skills to succeed in the future."
- Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education