The Bluewater District School Board has applied for an increase in scope for the planned replacement of Beavercrest Community School in Markdale.
Board superintendent of business services and treasurer Rob Cummings says the board received original approval for a 236-space school, but due to an increasing population in the surrounding community, the new request is to accommodate 328 pupils.
Cummings tells CKNX "With development taking off over the last couple of years, student growth is high. We would likely need a portable if the school was open, so we've applied to the ministry for a larger school."
The Ontario government approved almost $6.5M in funding for a new kindergarten to Grade 8 school in Markdale in 2018 after Beavercrest looked certain to be closed the year before after a recommendation from a Bluewater board accommodation review.
According to Statistics Canada, the Municipality of Grey Highland's population increased by 6.3% between 2016 and 2021, with similar growth seen in nearby the communities of West Grey (4.9%), Chatsworth (6.8%) and Southgate (18.5%).
