Greater Fort Erie Secondary School has found a home, and new neighbours. The Town’s new secondary school will be built across the street from the municipal centre. On Tuesday, November 25, Trustees of the DSBN approved the purchase of 15 acres of land at 1640 Garrison Road for $1.6 million dollars.
“We are very pleased to have found a property located centrally in the Town,” said Warren Hoshizaki, DSBN Director of Education. “The new high school will be close to a number of important community amenities such as the Leisureplex, the Town Hall and the YMCA. It will create opportunities for partnerships which will further support the education, health and well-being of students.”
“We appreciate the assistance of the Town of Fort Erie and the Region of Niagara in reaching this important milestone,” added Hoshizaki.
“This new secondary school will be an important piece in the revitalization of our Town,” said Doug Martin, Mayor of Fort Erie. “The town hall and arena were built in 1994 with the hope that they would become the central core of the Town. Having the new secondary school adjacent to those buildings supports that goal and will help unite the community by giving us one high school to support and root for.”
Greater Fort Erie Secondary School will be built to accommodate 750 students. With 15 acres of land, the school will be able to incorporate a full double gym and an artificial turf football field, with ample room for further expansions. “Working with the Town, we hope to make Greater Fort Erie a true community hub. We are interested in exploring further collaborations that will benefit both students and the surrounding community,” said Helen McGregor, DSBN Superintendent of Education.
McGregor added “with the site selection now completed, we can move forward with detailed plans for the new school in order to ensure that Greater Fort Erie opens its doors to students in September, 2017.”
Greater Fort Erie Secondary School will consolidate the populations of Fort Erie Secondary and Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School. Trustees voted to build a new school to house the combined populations as a strategy to counteract the effects of declining enrolment in Niagara. The vote followed a thorough accommodation review in the 2012/13 school year.
The Ministry of Education supported this collaborative initiative through a funding grant of $25 million announced earlier this year.
