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Niagara Falls
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Town OKs expansion of Royal Oak School

Royal Oak School is expanding again, leasing two more rooms in the old NOTL hospital on Wellington Street where the school operates.

The independent school was started in the Niagara-on-the-Lake courthouse in 2016 and had 12 students in its first year, head of school Julia Murray told town councillors last week.

Council approved the school's plan to lease the additional space.

In the five years since its inception the school has grown to more than 60 students this year, nine full-time staff and two part-time employees, she said.

“Over 30 per cent of our families receive financial bursaries. That’s really important to us,” Murray said.

“That’s why we exist. When the school started it was not because we wanted to have an elite independent school for students. We wanted to offer high-quality education to every child in Niagara.”

The school would be responsible for any renovations that the rooms require, said manager of parks and recreation Kevin Turcotte.

The rooms are to be included in the school’s current lease with the town.

The old hospital is up for sale by the town and requests for expressions of interest on the property will be put out in September, noted Coun. Gary Burroughs.

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