As it looks toward the future, the Algoma District School Board plans to do more with less – or at least less buildings.
Since 2005, the school board’s building complement has shrunk from 61 buildings to the 38 it operates today, with plans to bring these numbers down even further as it moves forward.
In the Sault, this process has brought the city’s former eight secondary and 26 elementary schools down to six and 18, respectively. The board aims to bring that number down further, to six and 15 in the future.
In Blind River, work is currently underway to consolidate two former schools – an elementary and a high school – into a single building by spring 2026, and there are similar hopes for schools in Wawa and Thessalon moving forward.
“We're building a new school right now, and very excited about . . . our new school in Blind River,” said Joe Santa Maria, associate director of corporate services and operations, at last week’s board meeting.
Part of the rationale for these moves is that it’s more affordable to maintain fewer buildings, he said.
“Our success over that period of time in right-sizing the system has allowed us flexibility and budget where other boards, who haven't maybe gone through that plan . . . then have ongoing operating issues within the schools and those buildings they've got to keep maintaining,” said Santa Maria during his capital plan report.
Santa Maria’s report highlights how consolidation of schools ensures “high quality learning environments” across the school board.
Some of the board’s recent capital project approvals are as follows:
- Tarentorus Public School is set for a new classroom and child care addition
- H.M. Robbins Public School is set for a new child-care space addition
- A number of upgrades to existing public schools, such as Mountain View, Riverview, Korah, Kiwedin, and more
As the board consolidated its buildings over the past 20 years, it sold 26 excess properties, and it has plans to further reduce its complement from 38 to 32 buildings moving forward.
However, a school closure moratorium put in place by the provincial government – in effect since 2017 – prevents schools from being shuttered or consolidated, with the Blind River merger only going forward now because the board began the process before the moratorium went into effect.
“The moratorium would not apply to the Blind River school because we were able to complete the accommodation review process prior to the moratorium,” Santa Maria said in a statement SooToday.
“Specific plans for the two old school buildings have not been determined yet until the transition from the current schools to the new school occurs.”
To carry out any additional work to either consolidate or close existing schools, the moratorium will need to be lifted.
“If the moratorium were lifted, it would allow us to work through the accommodation review process which involves engaging the families of schools under review to determine the best option to bring forward,” Santa Maria said.
“We have been successful in achieving our capital plan over the years and one area of priority would be specific east-end schools within Sault Ste. Marie.”