Education
September 4, 2008

2008 School Year Promises Opportunities for Student Achievement and Success

With an education budget of $1.1 billion, the Provincial Government is spending $10,600 per student this year in the K-12 system, an increase of 43.1 per cent since 2003. The Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education, helped kick off the new school year with visits to C. C. Loughlin and the site of the new high school in Corner Brook today.

"We are fortunate to be in a position to make increasing investments in education," said Minister Burke. "With this money in place, we are putting more teachers in our schools; offering modern and relevant curriculum and learning resources; and, establishing an education system that continues to support student achievement and individual success."

Minister Burke said the Provincial Government is once again investing heavily in infrastructure � one of the cornerstones of the education system. The budget this year for new schools and repair and maintenance is $88.8 million, an increase of $39.5 million over last year. This will help move forward nine new schools that have been announced for the communities of L�Anse au Loup, Port Saunders, Baie Verte, Torbay, Placentia, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and Port Hope Simpson, and two facilities in Paradise. It will also fund regular repair and maintenance projects that keep schools safe and clean. Since April 2008 alone, 36 construction contracts have been awarded, with nine more now at the advertising stage. These projects cover everything from roof repair and electrical upgrades, to window and siding replacement.

Programming is also seeing improvements this year. The new math curriculum, which is part of the Provincial Government�s $11.3 million Excellence in Mathematics Strategy, is being introduced in Kindergarten, and Grades 1, 4 and 7 this September, complete with new textbooks. The Futures in Skilled Trades and Technology program is being expanded to an additional 35 schools at a cost of $750,000, and two more pilot courses will be introduced � Robotics, and Power and Energy. Additional funding has also been allocated this year to support the growth of the Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation (CDLI). An investment of $1.6 million will allow CDLI to expand its teaching workforce, resource schools to accommodate distance education students, provide optimum Internet connectivity, and assist school districts with the delivery of distance education.

School boards are also getting a boost. Districts have approximately $4.2 million more to increase funding for student assistant allocations, increase the hours for school secretaries, and to fully implement Budget 2007 initiatives for technology support and school board repairs and maintenance.

Under the new teacher allocation model, there are an additional 65 teachers in the system for the 2008-09 school year, despite declining student enrolment. The new model is based on two key elements � a focus on programming and teaching needs, and maximum class sizes in the K-9 system. The Williams Government has allocated $3.56 million in Budget 2008 to help school districts with their individual planning for school programming and teaching needs.

"The past two years have been a period of renewal in our K-12 system," Minister Burke said. "We have undertaken significant work to identify and address long-standing issues, from the math curriculum to teacher allocation to the delivery of special needs education. With an investment of $2.4 million, the Department of Education is working with educators and other partners in education across the province to effect change in almost every aspect of special needs services. We are building on existing initiatives such as Healthy Students Healthy Schools, and the Safe and Caring Schools policy. And we are continuing to reduce the age of schools buses. Clearly, this government continues to place high priority on the education of our youth, ensuring our schools are places filled with opportunities to help our students achieve success."

- 30 -

Media contact:
Jacquelyn Howard
Director of Communications
Department of Education
709-729-0048, 689-2624
jacquelynhoward@gov.nl.ca

BACKGROUNDER

 

The table below is a list of construction projects awarded since April 1, 2008

School

Project Description

Contractor

Total Project Budget

Amalgamated Academy

Bay Roberts

Extension and Renovation

Eastern Contracting Ltd.

$2,700,000

Bishop Abraham Elementary

St. John's

Electrical Upgrading

Bayview Electrical

$246,700

Bishop Field Elementary

St. John�s

Electrical Upgrades

Jenco Ltd. (St. John's)

$345,000

Bishop's College

St. John�s

Electrical Upgrades and Boiler Replacement

Newfoundland HVAC Ltd.

$428,700

Brother Rice Jr. High

St. John�s

Electrical Upgrades

H.J. Bartlett Electric Inc.

$751,300

Cabot Academy

Western Bay

Building Envelope and Crawl Space Repairs

CMH Construction Ltd.

$650,000

Catalina Elementary

Catalina

Roof Repairs

Coastal Investments Ltd.

$116,000

Centreville Academy

Centreville-Wareham

Roof Repair/Replacement

Bluebird Investments Ltd.

$28,940

Clarenville High School

Clarenville

Window and Door Replacement

Atlantic Enterprises Ltd.

$208,000

Donald C. Jamieson Academy

Burin Bay Arm

Roof Replacement

Nova Consultants Inc.

$694,100

�cole Notre-Dame du Cap

De Grau

Building Envelope Upgrade

Bluebird Investments Ltd.

$160,000

Elwood School Complex

Deer Lake

Oil Tank Replacement

K & F Excavating & Equipment Ltd.

$75,000

Epiphany Elementary

Heart�s Delight

Roof Repairs/Replacement

Newfound Roofing Ltd.

$187,600

Glovertown School Complex

Glovertown

Electrical Repair/Upgrade

Goodyear's Electrical Ltd.

$385,250

Greenwood Academy

Campbellton

Roof Replacement

Professional Grading & Contractor

$299,873

Hampden Academy

Hampden

Windows and Siding Replacement

Pinemartin Adventures

$164,000

Hillside Elementary

La Scie

Roof Replacement and Re-Capping

Granco Construction Ltd.

$338,300

Holy Cross Elementary

Holyrood

Electrical Upgrade

Bayview Electrical Ltd.

$85,750

Holy Family School

Paradise

Extension and Renovations

Eastern Contracting Ltd.

$2,000,000

Holy Heart

St. John�s

Electrical Upgrades, CP2

H.J. Bartlett Electric Inc.

$235,976

Holy Heart

St. John�s

Service Upgrade, CP1

H.J. Bartlett Electric Inc.

$436,580

Laval High

Placentia

Partial Demolition and Minor Renovations

Hynes Construction Co. Ltd

$215,110

Lewisporte Academy

Lewisporte

Re-roofing

Hydro-Guard Roofing Systems

$375,902

Marystown Central High

Marystown

Roof Replacement

BlueBird Investments Ltd.

$697,000

Mobile Central High School

Mobile

Demolition and Site Development

Chard's Construction Ltd.

$744,084

Our Lady of the Cape

Cape St George

Roof Repairs

Whitestone Group Inc.

$177,040

Pasadena Academy

Pasadena

Roof Replacement

Island Roofing Co. Ltd.

$282,600

Prince of Wales Collegiate

St. John's

Roof Replacement Phase III

Newfoundland Roofing LTD

$231,700

Queen of Peace Middle School

Happy Valley-Goose Bay

Window Replacement and Exterior Door Upgrading

Churchill Construction

$471,500

Roncalli Elementary

St. John�s

Extension and Renovations

Eastern Contracting Ltd.

$1,180,000

St. Paul�s Junior High

St. John�s

Roof Repairs

Newfound Roofing Ltd.

$59,000

St. Peter's Academy

Black Tickle

Window Replacement

Paulo Ventures (TB)

$98,700

St. Theresa's School

St. John's

Electrical Review/Upgrade

Bayview Electrical Ltd.

$316,600

Stephenville Elementary

Stephenville

Roof Repair/Replacement

EFCO Enterprises Ltd.

$161,960

Stephenville Primary

Stephenville

Roof Repair/Replacement

Pottle Enterprises Ltd.

$208,800

Swift Current Academy

Swift Current

Roof and Siding Replacement

Newfound Roofing Ltd.

$225,000

Total:

$15,982,064

 

The below table is a list of construction projects where the tender period has closed but the contracts have not yet been awarded. The list indicates the total project estimate based on the pre-tender construction estimate.

School

Project Description

Total Project Estimate

Torbay New School

Torbay

School Site Work, CP1

$550,000

Total:

$550,000

The below table is a list of construction projects currently advertised. The list indicates the total project estimate as well as the anticipated closing dates.

School

Project Description

Closing Date

Total Project Estimate

J.M. Olds Collegiate

Twillingate

Roof Replacement/Repairs

2008/09/03

$369,000

St. John Bosco

St. John's

Roof Replacement/Repairs - Phase II

2008/09/02

$248,000

Hampden Academy

Hampden

Roof Replacement Phase II

2008/08/20

$160,000

Happy Valley-Goose Bay

Francophone School

Site Work CP1

2008/09/04

$200,000

Mary Queen of the World

St. John's

Roof Replacement

2008/08/13

$286,000

Presentation Junior High

Corner Brook

Fire & Life Safety Improvements

2008/09/04

$100,000

Exploits Valley Intermediate

Grand Falls-Windsor

Fitness Room Extension

2008/08/02

$285,000

Centre educatif l�Envol

Labrador City

Window Replacement and Building Envelope Improvements

2008/08/25

$358,000

Total:

$2,006,000

2008 09 04                                                     10:20 a.m.


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