New Kingston elementary school slated for Westbrook Park after school board receives provincial funding

The City and LDSB are in negotiations to exchange land where the current WJ Holsgrove PS will be turned into a park.

A new elementary school and park will be coming to Kingston's west end.

This after the province announced that the Limestone District School Board is receiving $21.4 million for a new school to be built on what is currently Westbrook Park.

The new school will have space for 407 students and will replace WJ Holsgrove Public School on Sproule St. That is something CEO and Director of Education at LDSB Krishna Burra is really excited about.

He says the current school can no longer meet the growing needs of that community.

The school board and the City of Kingston are in negotiations where the school board will acquire Westbrook Park and the City will get the WJ Holsgrove Public School property. The City will turned the land into a park once that school is decommissioned.

Amy Elgersma, the City's Director of Recreation and Leisure Services, says talks are in its early stages.

A date for that community session will be announced soon.

$19 million of the provincial funding will go towards the construction of the new school.

The rest, Burra says, will be used to expand child care spaces.

Elgersma says they are also looking to allow the community to use the school space.

Burra says once an agreement is reached, construction on the new school will start in late 2027 with a completion date around 2029.

Story by Ken Hashizume