Canadian Press
The Ontario government is investing $30 million in the York Region District School Board for a new elementary school in the Angus Glen South area of Markham.
The school, scheduled to open in 2028, aims to meet the needs of working families by providing 638 student spaces and 48 licensed child care spaces.
“We are excited and appreciative of the opportunity to construct a new school in our growing and vibrant community of Markham,” said Ron Lynn, Board Chair.
“This announcement is timely and will help to meet the needs of our Markham students and their families. We look forward to creating another inclusive and equitable learning environment, where all students have the opportunity to succeed.”
The Angus Glen South Elementary School project is part of a $1.3 billion investment to build new schools and expansions, including child care spaces, announced by Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education.
However, Joe Tigani, educational assistant and president of CUPE’s Ontario School Boards Council of Unions (OSBCU), criticized the government’s new funding model, saying it doesn’t address current staffing shortfalls and fails to invest in more front-line staff to improve the quality of education.
Additionally, Tigani pointed out that the government’s projected 1.86 per cent increase in per-pupil funding for the 2024-25 school year is below the expected inflation rate of 2.6 per cent in 2024 and 2 per cent in 2025.
Despite these concerns, Lecce stressed that the government is more than doubling its investment in new school construction, marking the largest such investment in Ontario’s history. He said the goal is to build schools faster, provide school boards with more flexibility and support to get shovels in the ground quicker and have more options to use existing buildings in their communities.
“We are stepping up with a massive investment to build the homes, schools, and communities our province needs, and to ensure children have access to state-of-the-art schools close to home that give them the skills they need to succeed in the future,” Lecce said.