Premier Kathy Dunderdale has just announced the awarding of a $20.7-million tender to redevelop Roncalli Elementary in Airport Heights.
Education Minister Clyde Jackman also attended the announcement at the school this morning.
The premier and the minister, accompanied by students from the school, turned a sod after the official announcement.
"The student population has more than doubled in recent years and is expected to increase even further in the future," said Dunderdale.
"Everything we do in education is about the students and I am pleased that, working together with the school community, we have reached this significant milestone in the revitalization of this facility. I look forward to watching the transformation as work progresses."
The tender for the project has been awarded to Baraco Atlantic Corp. of St. John's.
The project will see the construction of a large extension as well as redevelopment of the existing school, Jackman explained.
The minister said the extension will include a new food service area, a gym and 20 new classrooms, while the redevelopment will reconfigure space to include four new classrooms, a multi-purpose/lunch room and a resource centre.
A former chapel at the front of the school will also be replaced by a new administration wing.
"In short, students, teachers and the entire Roncalli Elementary school community will have a much-improved learning environment designed to serve their needs for many years to come," Jackman said.
The work will be carried out in two phases, with the extension expected to be completed by September 2014 and the redeveloped section by September 2015.
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Who is asking for hospitals? I would suggest you do some more research before you start posting messages on here. Yes, St. John's is populated and guess what!!! there is only so much land.. so guess where those people have to look to build when that land is full... the other end of the northeast avalon.. we have already lost schools and not 1 new school has been built in the past 50 years in our growing area. I think it's about time for esdnl to share the wealth and contribute to othere parts of the island that has not received any money toward their school in the past decade... and by the way our classes are at their capacity also with 20 students per class--