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Erie Migration District School in Kingsville welcomed a visit from Education Minister Jill Dunlop during a stop Tuesday touring new school sites.

“We’re honoured that Minister Dunlop was able to be here,” Vicki Houston, Greater Essex County District School Board director of education, told the Star. “It’s great that she was able to see the extraordinary amount of money that was given for this school and see how that government money was spent.” 

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The new school, supported by a $59-million investment from the Ontario government, opened its doors to nearly 1,700 students and 165 teachers and staff on Sept. 3.

“I am thrilled to celebrate the official opening of the new Erie Migration District School,” Dunlop said. “As a mom, I know the local school is the heart of the community.

“For Kingsville and Harrow, this year marks a new beginning, as students from former elementary schools and a former high school come together in this modern state-of-the-art space.

“Our government is proud to deliver this support to local families, along with a back-to-basics focus on reading, writing and math to ensure students graduate with the fundamental skills they need to succeed.”

Jill Dunlop, Ontario Minister of Education, speaks to reporters at the Erie Migration District School in Kingsville on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star
Teacher Greg Driedger
Greg Driedger, a chemistry teacher at the Erie Migration District School in Kingsville, discusses the facilityn in a classroom on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star
Erie Migration District School
The view from the mezzanine at the Erie Migration District School in Kingsville, which has 1,700 students and 165 teachers and staff, was part of tour that welcomed dignitaries on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star
Erie Migration District School
Jane Murray, an English teacher at Erie Migration District School in Kingsville, scans a classroom on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star
Erie Migration District School
Erie Migration District School, shown on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, also looks impressive at night. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

The tour included visits to key learning spaces, including the child care space, kindergarten classroom and games room on the elementary side; as well as the manufacturing classroom, family studies classroom, STEPs program space and library on the secondary side.

“The school has just come together so well,” Houston said. “It’s unbelievable how the kids have made it their new home. There’s so many opportunities for the older students to be leaders for the younger students.

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