French Catholic school board gets $16.5 M from province to build new, central school

After receiving a $16.5 million boost from the province, Sudbury's French Catholic School board is going to close three schools in Hanmer to make way for one central school.

When the school is finally built, students from cole Notre-Dame, cole St-Joseph and cole Ste-Thrse will move into thenew facility.

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Though the location of the proposed school hasn't been decided yet, ConseilScolaireCatholique du Nouvel-Ontario board chair Andre Bidal said parents with more than one child will likely find one central buildingmore convenient.

"Parents, a lot of them bring their children to school, and you have daycare at three o'clockin one school and then four to eight o'clock in the other school," said Bidal. "Parents are going back and forth from one school to another.

"So I think that's the main idea behind having one central school that parents can be able to go to just one place."

According to Bidal, the schools planned for closure areoutdated, and cannot support additions.

Ideas for the new school, he said, include outfittingit with the latest technology.

"We are looking at either solar panels or different, new methods of heating and lighting," Bidal said.

"We'll have the top end technology."

The board's announcement comes at a time when Sudbury'sRainbow District School Board is holdingaccommodation reviews to consider closing or merging 12elementary and secondary schools.