As part of Ontario’s ongoing efforts to build and improve local schools, the province has provided the Toronto District School Board with approval to award the tender for an addition and retrofit at Hollywood Public School. This is supported by an investment of $18.9 million, which includes additional funding of $3.4 million.
Once complete, this project will deliver 190 elementary spaces, a five-room child care centre and a new gymnasium for local families. The investment is part of the Ontario
government’s commitment to providing $15 billion to support school construction, repair and renewal over 10 years.
“The funding for an addition and retrofit at Hollywood Public School is great news for our community,” said Stan Cho, MPP for Willowdale. “For years, I have advocated for more investment in Willowdale’s education infrastructure, given our riding’s ever-growing population. This funding will ensure families and students have access to a quality learning environment in their own backyard for years to come.”
The Ontario government is delivering more than $26.6 billion in education funding for the 2022-23 school year, the highest investment in public education in Ontario’s history.
Investing in the province’s schools is an integral part of Ontario’s Plan to Catch Up, which focuses on the priorities of parents and includes five key components:
● Kids being back in the classroom with a full school experience that includes extracurriculars like sports, band and field trips;
● Investing more than $175 million for enhanced tutoring support programs delivered by school boards and community partners, with a focus on reading, writing and math;
● Updating the curriculum to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow, including opportunities in the skilled trades;
● Providing more money to build schools and improve education; and
● Allocating $90 million – the highest amount in Ontario history to support student mental health.
“Our government is investing $15 billion over ten years to build new schools, improve existing facilities and create child care spaces to ensure young people can reach their
full potential,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “By building the new state-of-the-art addition and retrofit at Hollywood Public School, as well as investing in
tutoring and mental health supports for the year ahead, we are getting students in Toronto back on track now and well into the future. While we make progress building
this addition and retrofit at Hollywood Public School to support hard-working parents, we remain committed to keeping students in more normal classrooms with extra curriculars, sports, and clubs.”
Highlights of the project include:
● 190 new student spaces
● 88 new child care spaces
● 5 new child care rooms
● New gymnasium
“I am thrilled to hear about the funding for an addition at Hollywood Public School,” said Dr. Weidong Pei, Toronto District School Board Trustee for Willowdale. “Portables are not optimal learning environments for students. The Willowdale community is growing rapidly and we must be able to provide the services our families deserve.”
“Under Premier Ford’s leadership, we’re building more state-of-the-art schools to support the needs of Ontario’s students, families and growing communities. By investing
in innovative and modern learning spaces, we’re ensuring students have access to the quality education that will provide them with lifelong skills and education in a safe and healthy environment,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “These investments are one of the ways we’re delivering on our promise to build Ontario, with an infrastructure budget of more than $148 billion over the next decade.”
“Investing in community infrastructure including schools and childcare spaces is crucial for Willowdale’s rapid growth and development,” said Lily Cheng, Toronto City Councillor for Willowdale. “The funding for this addition at Hollywood Public School, includes new childcare spaces, is a great step towards building a more vibrant and complete community.”
Hollywood Public School is located at 360 Hollywood Avenue in Toronto.
Quick Facts:
● Since 2018, the Ontario government has invested over $2.0 billion in capital projects in education, including 100 new schools, 88 additions and renovations to existing facilities and 6,410 new licensed child care spaces.
● For the 2022-23 school year, the province is providing school boards with $1.4 billion in funding to revitalize and renew aged building systems and components.
● In March 2022, the Governments of Canada and Ontario signed a $13.2 billion agreement that will lower child care fees in stages for families, delivering an average of $10 a day child care by September 2025.
MPP Contact Info
Vanessa Clarke | vanessa.clarke@pc.ola.org