Province Invests in Students' Success

Students across Nova Scotia will be learning in improved, upgraded schools as the province puts kids and learning first.

The province will renovate and improve 26 schools across the province in 2013-14 as part of its Capital Plan.

"We're putting kids and learning first by providing our students with the best schools, classrooms and technology that we can," said Education Minister Ramona Jennex, who made the announcement today, Dec. 7, at École secondaire du Sommet in Halifax. "This significant investment will ensure our young people get a good education that leads to good jobs."

École du Sommet will undergo a $2-million expansion to meet the growing needs of the Acadian and French first-language community in Halifax.

While enrolment is declining overall across the province, Conseil scolaire acadien provincial is the only school board experiencing growth. When École secondaire du Sommet opened in 2010 it had 320 students. Today, its enrolment is 415.

"We are very happy at CSAP with the Department of Education's support towards the expansion of École secondaire du Sommet," said Kenneth Gaudet, CSAP president. "The space that will be added is very necessary in this school where the number of students continues to increase year after year. We will be better able to respond to the growing needs of this school."

Other new multi-year renovation projects will also begin at:

• Mulgrave Memorial Education Centre, $1.3 million
• Glace Bay High School, $1.88 million
• Sydney Mines Memorial Composite High School, $5.52 million
• Donkin School, $1 million

Existing renovation and expansion projects will continue at 21 other schools.

For the first time, the province required school boards to submit business plans with their list of priority projects.

To help boards, the province has also set aside $500,000 to further study the following potential projects:

• Hants North P-12 (new)
• Trenton P-8 (new)
• Bridgetown Regional High School (renovation to a P-12)
• Park View Education Centre (renovation)
• Wolfville School (renovation)
• Breton Education Centre (renovation)
• Cobequid Education Centre (renovation)

The funds will assist school boards in hiring consultants to help in the preparation of comprehensive business cases. Government and school boards will work together on preparing the cases. As these projects move from study to implementation, further government approvals will be necessary.

This is the third straight year the province will release the capital plan before the spring budget. This sends a clear signal of what the province intends to do in the year ahead, and gives the private sector greater opportunity to prepare for projects, creating efficiencies and cost savings for the province.