Students, teachers and staff of St. Bernard�s Primary in Witless Bay will enjoy additional space as a result of the Provincial Government�s increased investments in infrastructure this year. The tender to extend and renovate St. Bernard�s, valued at $760,000, has been awarded to Chard�s Construction Ltd. of Bonavista.

"Improvements to St. Bernard�s is one of several education initiatives identified for funding as part of the $1.6 billion in infrastructure projects that will be tendered across many sectors this fiscal year," said the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Education. "The work on St. Bernard�s will accommodate the new maximum class sizes, and will ultimately provide students with more space to learn and grow."

Work on St. Bernard�s includes the addition of three classrooms, an upgrade to the water treatment system and improvements to allow for the use of more computers.

"The area from Bay Bulls to Bauline continues to experience significant residential growth and subsequently we are seeing increases in student numbers at St. Bernard�s," said Keith Hutchings, MHA for Ferryland. "I am pleased our government has quickly responded to the request to provide additional classroom space and upgrades to ensure our youth have access to an appropriate learning environment. I would also like to recognize and thank the school council of St. Bernard�s for their work in facilitating the process."

Since 2004, there has been an increase of over $100 million for repairs and maintenance, extensions and new school construction in the K-12 system. For example, over 500 projects have been completed, such as the replacement of windows, siding and roofing. Work is also moving forward on the construction of several new schools, including two K-6 facilities in Paradise, as well as new buildings in L�Anse au Loup, Baie Verte, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Placentia, Port Hope Simpson, Port Saunders and Torbay.

In addition, Budget 2009 allocated funding for new facilities to replace St. Teresa�s in St. John�s and Davis Elementary in Carbonear. These projects are in the initial planning stage.

"We remain committed to improving the physical condition of schools in the K-12 system and this of course includes a rigorous repair and maintenance schedule, as well as new school construction," said Minister King. "It is also very positive to see the economic activity created in many communities across the province as a result of the additional funding for the provincial infrastructure strategy. These investments are a win for the school community as well as a win for our province overall."

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