The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board will tap into provincial funding to make its schools more accessible.
Nearly $50-million was made available last year by the Ministry of Education to either create a community hub or upgrade accessibility at existing schools.
The board will receive $600,000 to pay for required accessibility upgrades to at least two schools according to board spokesperson Stephen Fields.
New elevators will be installed at St. Angela at Ellis and Elsmere St. and at St. Anne French Immersion on Monmouth Rd. near Richmond St.
"The age of the two-story grade schools made them the first choice," says Fields. "It's the first step in a long-term plan to make sure every Catholic school meets provincial standards. We're required by 2025 to make sure that all of our schools meet those accessibility standards."
Fields says the need to upgrade accessibility outweighed the need for community hub upgrades. "Funding for community hubs is basically made available for existing schools that are currently being used. We've done so much in the last couple years, in terms of consolidation, that our excess capacity is really low. We do have some schools that are still assets for the board that are sitting vacant, but they wouldn't qualify for that community hub funding."
Fields say the board will also be conducting a full accessibility review for all schools in Windsor-Essex.