LONDON DISTRICT CATHOLIC SCHOOL BOARD
Top Capital Priorities Include Two New High Schools and Four New Elementary Schools

The fast-growing London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB) will be submitting business cases to the Ministry of Education this month for six new schools in the region, listed below in order of priority:

• New North London Secondary School (1,999 students and 88-space childcare centre)
• New Southwest London Elementary School (655 students and 88-space childcare centre)
• New Southeast London Elementary School (655 students and 88-space childcare centre)
• New St. Thomas Elementary School (424 students and 88-space childcare centre)
• New St. Thomas Secondary School (826 students)
• Replacement St. Patrick, Lucan Elementary School (424 students)

The Ministry of Education's Capital Priorities program provides school boards across the province with an opportunity to identify their most urgent and pressing pupil accommodation needs. The Ministry has limited funds available to allocate to school boards, so not all capital priorities will receive funding approval.

"We are about to embark on the biggest school construction boom in the history of the LDCSB, and we need more," said Gabe Pizzuti, chair of the Board of Trustees. "As a result of unprecedented growth, we have three schools in the planning stages or under construction, and the board has approved a capital priorities submission for six more schools. The greatest need is a new high school in North London. We have solid business cases for all six priorities and are ready to move on these projects as soon as we hear from the Ministry of Education."

The LDCSB continues to be the fastest growing Catholic school board in the province, up more than 1,500 students this year for a total of 27,500. The LDCSB has also hired more than new 1,400 employees, including 450 teachers, since the beginning of 2022.

To help accommodate the growth, St. Gabriel elementary school in NW London will open in early 2025, and elementary schools in NE London and the Komoka-Kilworth area are in the planning stages. An addition at St. Anne's elementary school in St. Thomas was recently completed, and construction on the new Regina Mundi College secondary school is well underway. In the meantime, the LDCSB has added 130 new portables over the past three school years, including more than 50 for the 2024-25 school year.