Province Breaks Ground on New School in Brandon

BRANDON—Construction has started on a new kindergarten to Grade 8 school in southeast Brandon, Premier Brian Pallister announced here today.

“We are delivering on our promise to build a new school in Brandon to accommodate the tremendous growth that has happened here over the past 20 years,” said Pallister during a groundbreaking ceremony at the school site.  “Today, as we break ground for Maryland Park School, we are taking another important step to address that need.”

Total provincial funding for the new school is $24.1 million.  The 65,700-sq.-ft. facility at Maryland Avenue and Ninth Street has capacity for 450 students from kindergarten to Grade 8, and is designed to accommodate an additional 200 students if needed.

The school will also feature a child-care centre with 74 spaces.  The centre will accommodate 54 preschool children and 20 infants and will provide flexible care to 40 nursery, preschool, and before-and after-school students.

The new school will feature a multi-purpose space, band room, library, gymnasium, classrooms, home economics and industrial arts labs, a grooming room and life-skills suite.  It will also include resource teaching and support spaces and a science, technology, electronics and mathematics (STEM) lab.

The facility is being designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification and Manitoba Hydro energy targets.

“The people of Brandon applaud the province for making the right decision in investing in a new school for Brandon,” said Dr. Linda Ross, chairperson, board of trustees, Brandon School Division.  “I would like to further acknowledge the efforts of Brandon’s MLAs as well as those of city council and the Brandon community at large in advocating for this much needed new educational facility.  Students living in this newly developed area of Brandon South will have the community school they deserve, and current pressures on capacity in kindergarten to Grade 8 schools across Brandon will be alleviated.”

The premier thanked the Brandon School Division board of trustees and administration and the City of Brandon for their years of hard work to make the project a reality.

Maryland Park School is scheduled to open in fall 2020 and is one of seven new schools the provincial government is currently building across Manitoba.