School Capital Plan Addresses Growth, Invests in New and Existing Schools Across Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia’s new five-year school capital plan focuses on building new schools, addressing population growth and investing in current schools.

The Province is investing nearly $1 billion over multiple years in building and repairing schools and adding modular classrooms.

“Our new capital plan addresses aging school infrastructure and population growth in communities across Nova Scotia,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Becky Druhan. “We are working with our partners and taking a strategic approach to facility replacement and upgrades, as well as land acquisitions, across the province.”

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development released the plan today, June 16, at New Germany Elementary School in Lunenburg County, one of the schools that will be replaced.

The new capital plan includes about $263 million for four new replacement schools, including:

• replacement of New Germany Elementary and New Germany Rural High with one consolidated pre-primary to Grade 12 school, which will include a skilled trades centre and accommodate about 500 students
• replacement of École des Beaux-Marais in Porters Lake with a new pre-primary to Grade 8 school, announced May 18; the current school has about 250 students
• two other replacement schools that will be announced soon.

The plan includes a strategic approach to meet increasing enrolment needs in Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and in other growing communities across the province, including:

• building four new schools in HRM growth areas, with site options made available through the purchase of land under the $50-million strategic land envelope announced in March; details will be released once sites are identified
• addressing immediate enrolment needs by investing $120 million in modular classrooms for existing schools
• preserving, refreshing and extending the life of existing schools with an investment of $54 million for capital repairs
• investing $511 million to complete school projects that were previously announced, including West Bedford School and West Bedford High School – both opening in September – and the new Clayton Park-Fairview junior high.

The Province is investing $948 million in the five-year plan; $240.8 million was announced in March as part of the provincial capital plan and $707.2 million is new funding.

Quotes:

“Investment in education is also an investment in the future of our students and our community, while laying the foundation for generations to come. We are looking forward to seeing students and staff collaborating, creating and reaching their full potential in this new and modernized facility.”

– Nancy Pynch-Worthylake, Regional Executive Director, South Shore Regional Centre for Education

“I am confident I speak for all members of the school advisory council and our school families when I say this is an amazing announcement. This ensures an environment of modern learning to meet all our educational needs now and in the future. We are very excited to have this new school in our community!”

– Blair Lipsett, Chair, School Advisory Council, New Germany Rural High School

Quick Facts:

• in HRM, work on the new J.L. Ilsley High School is complete, with construction of the new Eastern Shore Consolidated School and St. Joseph’s-Alexander McKay Elementary School underway
• a location for the Halifax peninsula elementary school under the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial has been selected; site selection continues for Clayton Park-Fairview junior high, Glace Bay area elementary and Northside middle school
• for site selection of replacement schools, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development follows the process outlined in the Governor in Council Education Act Regulations, looking first at existing school sites
• the Department of Public Works will issue tenders for the design of the replacement schools once the site selection process has been completed and approved by the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development

Additional Resources:

Nova Scotia School Capital Plan: https://www.ednet.ns.ca/capitalplan