The Ontario Ministry of Education has granted the St. Clair Catholic District School Board the necessary approvals to proceed with construction of a new Catholic elementary school in Sarnia.  The $21.8 million school will be the new home to French Immersion in Sarnia, with students from Gregory A. Hogan Catholic School relocating to the new site, when the school opens.

“We are excited by this next step in the process towards a new Catholic French Immersion school in Sarnia,” says John Van Heck, Chair of the Board.  “On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I want to thank the Ministry for its tremendous support of this project.” 

The $21,833,171 project to build a new 659-pupil place elementary school includes $4,589,154 in funding for a five-room child care centre.  Also included in the funding is a $200,000 donation from the Hogan Family, to support an expanded 900 square foot community room in the new school.

“There is nothing more important than preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow by investing in state-of-the-art learning centres with modern ventilation and safety top of mind,” said Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce. “By building a new Gregory A. Hogan Catholic Elementary School, our government is responding to the needs of Sarnia families and helping young people reach their full potential.”

Construction on the new school is expected to begin in May 2022 with a projected opening in September 2023. 

With the transition of French Immersion students to the new school, the Sacred Heart Catholic School community will relocate to the current Gregory A. Hogan site.  As a result, both school communities will occupy facilities that are the right size for their student populations.