Construction well underway for new K-12 Kingsville school

By Mark Ribble

KINGSVILLE — Greater Essex County District School Board Director of Education Erin Kelly summed it up best when she said, “It is indeed a wonderful day.”

Kelly was speaking from the podium at the ceremony held to officially announce ground-breaking, even though the actual breaking of the ground had occurred a couple of weeks earlier.

According to Kelly, the Kindergarten to Grade 12 school being built on Jasperson Lane is the largest of many school projects being constructed across the province.

When complete, the school will be over 2,000 square feet and hold more than 1,800 students, integrating high school and elementary students from Kingsville High School, Kingsville Public School, Jack Miner Public School and Harrow Public School.

The principals of the four schools that will feed the new K-12 school in Kingsville took part in the shovel turning ceremony. From left are Mike Huggard (Jack Miner Public School), Rob Kapetanov (Kingsville Public School), Chris Pillon (Harrow Public School) and Bill Toews (Kingsville High School).

SUN photo

Cost of the build comes in at about $60 million.

The Fortis Group is the contractor charged with creating the school from hundreds of hours of hard work by trustees, planners, engineers and municipal officials over the past three years.

The announcement was made in 2019 with the school expected to open in 2023, but delays in planning and funding have pushed back the opening date. It’s hoped that the school will open in the fall of 2024.

Among those speaking at the ceremony were two Grade 9 students from Kingsviile District High School — Ottavio Ruggirello and Kinsey Kendrick.

“I can imagine a future where high school students can be a guiding light to elementary students,” said Ottavio. “The future will definitely shine even brighter than the greenhouse lights.”

“The wait will be well worth it,” added Kinsey. “When one door closes, another one opens and I for one am looking forward to walking through the doors of the new school.”

Kinsey Kendrick and Ottavio Ruggirello.

Both Ottavio and Kinsey expect to be in the first graduating class of 2025 at the new school.

With heavy machinery operating in the background, school board trustee Alicia Higgison spoke about how the many hours spent planning have been worth it.

“The design had to be appropriate, sustainable and yes, affordable,” she said. “I believe when this school opens in a couple of years, it will be worth the wait — and then some.”