Students in Grimsby, Lincoln, and West Lincoln will be heading to a new high school in 2022.
The current construction site sits on the border of Grimsby and Beamsville at 5699 King Street, Beamsville. Although it currently is an empty lot featuring a “Future home of a new DSBN secondary school” sign, the District School Board of Niagara has new details to share regarding the the anticipated project.
The development of West Niagara Secondary School is well underway. The architect has been tendered for the project, and the designs are being finalized. CS&P Architects were approved by the Board of Trustees in January 2018.
Consolidation of three high schools
The project involves consolidating three different regional high schools. In keeping with the Board of Trustee’s decision in 2017, South Lincoln High School closed in June 2017. Students at Beamsville District Secondary School and Grimsby Secondary will continue attending their respective schools until the new school is complete. Both BDSS and GSS are slated to be closed at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.
“In addition to the benefit of learning in a new facility with many great features, students will also have the choice of a broader range of subjects, and when it is safe to do so, participate in many more extracurricular clubs, teams, and events,” said Carolyn LaConte, Communications Officer at DSBN.
The new West Niagara Secondary School will be built for an enrolment of 1,500 students, with the number of classrooms still to be confirmed, but the preliminary design of the school is an advanced facility that will feature a synthetic turf field and eight-lane running track, a wide range of technology shops, two double gyms, and various advanced classroom learning spaces. These plans still need approval from the Ontario Ministry of Education.
‘State of the art’ facility
“West Niagara Secondary School will be a state-of-the-art facility that will provide students with a variety of ways to pursue their interests and support their success,” said Warren Hoshizaki, DSBN Director of Education. “We’re looking forward to finalizing and receiving approval from the Ministry on our plans to make this new school that will serve the west Niagara community a reality.”
It is unclear at this time if the new school will bring in new teaching jobs according to LaConte. Staffing will be based on enrolment and will be decided closer to the school opening.
The school board is also currently looking at fundraising and potential partnerships to help support additional features to the school, including a greenhouse, as well as a theatre that would be available for student and community use.
“We are getting more and more excited as we get closer to opening West Niagara Secondary School,” said Helen McGregor, Superintendent of Curriculum & Student Achievement for Secondary at the DSBN. “So excited, in fact, we will be making a special announcement about the school during Secondary Sneak Peek, our upcoming, virtual high school open house event – stay tuned!”
The dates for this virtual open house are still to be confirmed, but the school board is aiming for early December. Details on how to tune in are still be to confirmed as well, but the DSBN will be posting updates on their Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Follow their social media accounts to catch the announcement next month.
