Walls will soon start to rise on a new school in Placentia. The
tender to construct the
Grade 7-12 facility, valued at approximately $11 million, has been
awarded to Marco Services Ltd., and site work will begin shortly
adjacent to the existing Laval High School. It is anticipated the school
will be completed by fall, 2010.
"I know everyone in the Placentia area is excited about this new
facility," said the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Education. "I am
very pleased to see this important phase of the project get underway and
once complete, teachers and students will have a safe, healthy, modern
learning environment that will serve the Placentia area for years to
come."
The facility will include a skilled trades suite, a home economics
room, a fitness room, library resource centre, a computer room, a
multi-purpose/lunch room, as well as a kitchen and canteen, a medical
room, and areas to accommodate students with diverse learning needs.
There will be a number of enhancements to the school with a $1.8
million contribution from Vale Inco. These include an enhanced
regulation size gymnasium with a track, an expanded fitness room and an
expanded music room.
"This is great news for the Placentia region," said Felix Collins,
MHA for Placentia. "This much anticipated facility will be a tremendous
asset to the area and we look forward to the beginning of construction.
I congratulate the school councils of the area for their collaboration
and support for this project. I also want to congratulate and thank Vale
Inco for its contribution and for its demonstration of corporate
citizenship. This new school is a further indication of a bright future
for the region."
There are currently 11 new schools being funded by the Provincial
Government in communities across Newfoundland and Labrador. Site
development or the main construction phase will occur this year on new
schools in L�Anse au Loup, Torbay, Baie Verte, Placentia, Port Saunders,
Port Hope Simpson, two schools in Paradise, and a new Francophone school
in Happy Valley-Goose Bay to replace the current facility, �cole Bor�ale.
The remaining two projects are replacements for Davis Elementary in
Carbonear and St. Teresa�s Elementary in St. John�s, which were
announced in February 2009 as part of the Provincial Government�s $121.5
million commitment to K-12 infrastructure, and supported in Budget 2009:
Building on Our Strong Foundation.
"This is an incredible number of new school construction projects and
is in addition to an unprecedented amount of repair and maintenance work
happening in schools across the province," said Minister King. "We will
remain diligent about improving school infrastructure and taking the
necessary steps to ensure the best possible learning environments for
students, teachers and staff."
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