Students in the Espanola area will see new facilities in the next three years

Espanola students can expect to be in new or redesigned digs in the next couple of years following a major cooperative effort among three school boards to accommodate educational needs in the town.  The Ministry of Education has confirmed funding for the revitalization of education in Espanola. Rainbow District School Board, the Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario and the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board  for redesigning the high school and incorporating three new schools into a new facility.  It’s taken over two years, but the Ontario government has finally come through with the funding to address student accommodation needs in Espanola.  The Rainbow District School Board has received $4.47 million to renovate the high school to accommodate the two distinct schools – A.B. Ellis Public School (JK to Grade 8) and Espanola High School (Grade 9 to 12).  Work will begin this summer with an anticipated completion during the 2014-2015 school year.  Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario has received $9.88 million to build a new French high school, Ecole Franco-Ouest and the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board has $6.94 million t to work jointly to build distinct schools on the current Sacred Heart School property and the former St-Louis de France Catholic Church site.  This shared site will accommodate students from Sacred Heart Catholic School (JK to Grade 8) as well as students from École Saint-Joseph (JK to Grade 8) and École secondaire catholique Franco-Ouest (Grade 9 to 12).  Construction of the building, that will serve these three schools, is expected to begin in 2015 with occupancy slated for 2017.  The move will affect around 2,000 students in the Espanola and North Shore area.