The Greater Essex County District School Board is asking for public input on a new $13-million school in Lakeshore.
The new school, which will be built just east of Rourke Line Road and north of Girard Drive, will enrol nearly 600 students.
The project is currently in the planning and design phase with a couple of different ways for the public to have their say.
A public meeting will be held Thursday evening at Lakeshore Discovery School where architects, senior administration, and representatives from the GECDSB Capital Projects department will be in attendance to provide information and answer questions.
Community members can also take part in an online survey which will be open until June 17 and will focus on the school specifically in terms of programs, qualities, and community partnerships.
Connie Buckler, GECDSB Trustee representing the Municipality of Lakeshore, says there will be many people available to answer questions.
"Our facilities people will be there, that's the people who are in charge of our buildings, our superintendents will be there, the ones in charge of accommodations which allow for the numbers of students in each building. And our Director of Education of course will be there. So we will have enough people providing the answers, hopefully, that people are looking for."
She says the online survey is still open for the next couple of weeks.
"We're just looking for feedback as to what people are wanting to see in this school, and what they're anticipating and expecting when they send their children to a public school."
Buckler says it will still be a couple of years until the school is completed.
"I would imagine we're still looking at a couple years out. Unfortunately nothing moves quickly. We'll see how far we can get this summer before we end up out of building time. But I would expect it would be 2026 before it's opened."
The public meeting at Lakeshore Discovery, located at 376 I.C. Roy Drive, will take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Buckler adds that those who can't attend the meeting are always able to reach out to the school board for further information.
The school board purchased the land in March 2023. Funding for the school was granted by the provincial government and the Ministry of Education in February 2022.
A link to the survey can be found by clicking here.