Updated May 2, 2024 @ 10:34am
The longing for a high school in Wasaga Beach finally came to reality on Wednesday when Education Minister Stephen Lecce came to the community to announce the province has approved a $57.7 million junior kindergarten to Grade 12 Catholic school.
"This took some doing, but Wasaga Beach is long overdue for a secondary school," Simcoe-Grey MPP Brian Saunderson stated on his website. "We know there have been various groups through the years who had advocated for a new high school in Wasaga Beach. I was thrilled to work with municipal officials and the team at the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School to get this project rolling. The new school will include 1,008 student spaces and 49 licensed childcare spaces in Wasaga Beach, ideally it’s built by 2027.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the Wasaga Beach facility is one of the largest school projects the province will approve in this round of capital.
The new school will be built adjacent to the new twin-pad arena and public library on River Road West.
"By leveraging $60 million of existing municipal infrastructure in the Town's new twin-pad arena and library, we are able to deliver an expanded range of community uses, save money for taxpayers, and deliver a K-12 school for our community at a more affordable price for the school board," noted Wasaga Beach's CAO Andrew McNeill.
Wasaga Beach is currently the largest community in Ontario without a secondary school. Approximately 1,000 high school-aged children are being bused outside of the town each day to attend elementary school and high school in neighbouring communities.
Banner image via MPP Brian Saunderson
