Steinbach MLA and Education and Training Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced that students and families in Mitchell and the surrounding region will soon benefit from five new classrooms, a new library and a new multipurpose room at Mitchell Elementary School.
“Our priority is to catch up with the needs of growing areas of the province and this expansion is much needed in Mitchell, where we’ve seen enrolment on the rise for the past 20 years,” said Goertzen. “The school ran out of space and had to create learning environments in the library and hallways as a result. These students deserve a proper place to learn.”
The minister noted enrolment at the kindergarten to Grade 4 school has increased at a steady pace in recent years due to immigration and robust housing development in the community, growing by 95 students between 2012 and 2018.
The current enrolment of 450 students has led to overcrowding, with the school using its library as a classroom and with almost no space for resource teaching support or guidance counselling. Enrolment is projected to continue to grow to 600 students by 2028, the minister noted.
“We’re very pleased with this announcement, as we have seen consistent yearly student growth over many years and available school space has been stretched beyond capacity,” said Ron Falk, board chair, Hanover School Division. “This addition will enable the school to provide an improved learning environment for many students, and we thank the Manitoba government for recognizing this need and providing the funds for this project.”
The planned addition and renovation project will include five classrooms, a new library, a new multipurpose room and related ancillary spaces. The project will include an estimated 12,600 square feet of new space and 2,000 square feet of existing space will be renovated to provide improved educational support and resource spaces.
A prime consultant will be hired in early 2019 and the project is expected to go to tender/start construction in the late summer 2019, with a December 2020 completion date, Goertzen said, adding construction costs are estimated to be in excess of $4.2 million.
