As the community grows, so too does this Bradford high school.
Allen Morrison, planning facilities and student transportation services controller, provided a verbal update with new details on the planned expansion of Bradford’s Holy Trinity Catholic High School to the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) on Jan. 15.
Design documents included in the agenda show the two-storey addition is planned to be added to the northeast section of the school near the parking lot, and it'll include 12 more classrooms, a resource room, a staff workroom, and washrooms.
SMCDSB trustee for Bradford and Innisfil Tanya Da Silva said she’s excited to see the plans taking shape and called them an “important milestone” for the school.
“We have seen so much growth in this community over the past 10 years and this expansion will help accommodate the students and families who are choosing a faith-based education,” she said in an email.
For this year, the school has 1,127 students — the addition will accommodate another 276, the SMCDSB says.
As of last year, the board was expecting their student population to grow from 2,624 in 2023 to 3,601 in 2033 for elementary students, and from 1,044 to 1,457 over the same time for secondary students.
Da Silva wants to see all of the students able to take advantage of improvements in information technology, like upgrades to wireless internet connections.
“It’s exciting to witness how the space is being reshaped to accommodate modern needs,” she said. “With technology changing, there is a focus on integrating new learning tools, more flexible classroom spaces, and maybe even improved facilities for extracurricular activities.”
From the outside, the addition is set to feature a facade combining brick and aluminum with plenty of windows and a large blue cross facing toward Melbourne Drive.
Inside, each of the classrooms is planned to be about 69 square metres (743 square feet) while the resource room and staff workroom are planned to be 43 sq. m (463 sq. ft.) and 45 sq. m (484 sq. ft.), respectively.
If all goes well, the board expects construction could begin this summer, and is targeting an opening for fall of 2026.
On May 17 last year, York-Simcoe MPP Caroline Mulroney announced about $6.8 million in funding from the Ministry of Education to cover the cost of the expansion.
At that time, she praised Holy Trinity for being “such an exceptional school,” adding “students deserve to learn in state-of-the-art modern facilities.”
While Morrison expected then that all of the classrooms would be standard rooms with no specialized spaces, he added the expansion could mean new opportunities elsewhere in the school.
Da Silva echoed that sentiment this week, noting the expansion is just one example of how the board is helping students.
“I am really looking forward to working with our amazing board staff to develop the very best facility for the students and staff at Holy Trinity,” she said.
