Construction Underway on New St. Teresa’s School

Construction is underway on a new St. Teresa’s School in St. John’s with the recent awarding of a tender, valued at over $16.7 million, to Pomerleau Inc.

“With this latest contract, the total approved for the St. Teresa’s project stands at $22.2 million,” said the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Education, who visited the site today. “Over the past nine years, this government has taken a systematic approach to constructing, extending, redeveloping and renovating school infrastructure throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, which is just one indication of the importance placed on meeting the needs of students, teachers and staff in our education system.”

The new St. Teresa’s School will be located on the existing Mundy Pond Road site, and is designed to accommodate up to 700 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6. The project is part of the reorganization of several St. John’s school systems over the past number of years, made necessary due to changing demographics and aging infrastructure.

Among the planned features of the new school are 27 classrooms, challenging needs suites, a modern music room, a cafeteria, and a family resource centre which will allow for community use of space. The school is expected to be ready for occupancy in September of 2014, and will include students from the current St. Teresa’s School and Holy Cross Elementary, the latter of which will close once the project is completed.

Budget 2013: A Sound Plan, A Secure Future provides almost $102 million for new and ongoing school infrastructure projects to meet the immediate and long-term demands in high growth areas, including $77 million for ongoing major capital projects. A list of major projects being funded this fiscal year, including St. Teresa’s, can be viewed in the backgrounder below.

Since 2004, about $620 million has been allocated for school infrastructure throughout the province. Nine new schools have opened; 10 more are in various stages of planning or construction; 12 major extension and renovation projects have been completed, and eight more are underway or in the planning stages. This also includes more than 1,850 repairs and maintenance projects, including new roofs, windows, siding, electrical upgrades, and more approved for schools throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

- 30 -

Media contact:
Heather May
Director of Communications
Department of Education
709-729-0048, 697-5061
heathermay@gov.nl.ca

BACKGROUNDER
Budget 2013 Investment in Ongoing Infrastructure Projects

The aggressive investment made in K-12 infrastructure over the past nine years continues with Budget 2013: A Sound Plan, A Secure Future, which provides almost $102 million for new and ongoing school infrastructure projects to meet the immediate and long-term demands in high growth areas, while ensuring existing facilities throughout the province meet the needs of students and teachers in the 21st century.

This includes close to $77 million for ongoing major capital projects, including:

• $18.3 million to begin construction of a new west end high school, St. John’s;
• $10 million to continue construction of the new St. Teresa’s school, St. John’s;
• $8 million to continue the extension and renovations at Roncalli Elementary, St. John’s;
• $6.6 million to redevelop the former Regina High, Corner Brook;
• $4.6 million to continue construction of a new school, St. Anthony;
• $4.2 million to begin work on the second phase of redevelopment at Exploits Valley High, Grand Falls-Windsor;
• $4 million to begin design and site work for the new Virginia Park Elementary, St. John’s;
• $3.9 million to begin the reconstruction of William Gillett Academy, Charlottetown, Labrador;
• $3.7 million to continue construction of a new school, Carbonear;
• $3 million for further, design and planning and potential site acquisition for a new school, Torbay;
• $3 million for further planning, design and potential site acquisition for a new school, Conception Bay South;
• $3 million for further planning, design and potential site acquisition for a new school, Paradise;
• $3 million for further planning, design and potential site acquisition of a new school, Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s;
• $300,000 to complete an extension and renovations at Holy Spirit High, Conception Bay South; and,
• $1.4 million to finalize work on several projects throughout the province.

2013 04 24 11:10 a.m.