kempenfeltbayschool
14 Jun

We Can, We Will: Kempenfelt Bay School lays roots in Innisfil

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kbs-ground-breaking-ceremony-055 kbs-ground-breaking-ceremony-062Left to right: Mark Faris, Graham Hookey, Mayor Gord Wauchope

Photos: Paul Koziorowski, One Squared Photography

“In 100 years, we’ll look back on today as a turning point for our school,” Kempenfelt Bay School Principal Graham Hookey proclaimed yesterday as Simcoe County’s largest private school broke ground at the site of its new home in Innisfil.

Having leased facilities in Barrie for the past 17 years, the future site of KBS shares a campus with the Innisfil Recreation Centre, Town Hall, Municipal Operations Centre, South Simcoe Police Station and InnPower, forging a unique partnership that will benefit the entire community.

“The location in Innisfil allows us to share some of the town’s facilities while also being able to share some of our facilities with the town. This kind of shared-resources model avoids expensive duplication for everyone,” Hookey detailed in an interview with the Barrie Examiner last April.

“This reduces the necessity of us building such facilities initially and offers additional revenue, through our payment of facility fees, for the YMCA and the town,” Hookey added.

Shovels in hand, Principal Hookey, Innisfil Mayor Gord Wauchope, YMCA Vice President (Health, Fitness and Aquatics) Karen Pulla and Chair of the Kempenfelt Bay School Board, Pat Dasovic, led the ceremonial ground breaking in front of members of the Innisfil community, parents and the entire KBS student body, who excitedly checked out the grounds of their new home.

As an independent school, KBS is governed by a volunteer board of directors and operates as a charitable organization. Currently offering classes to 110 students, the new building will be built in three phases, eventually accommodating up to 500 students.

The first phase, ready for fall 2017, will consist of 20 classrooms and house all current classes. A year later, KBS will begin the addition of high-school grades with the intent to achieve a full university-preparatory program. The second phase will also include office space, a cafeteria and a library.

“The third phase will have a double gymnasium and small theatre, both of which will be part of the mutual agreement with the town so that they provide additional resources to them when the school is not in session,” Hookey told The Examiner.

“Residents of Innisfil will be able to use the school facilities in conjunction with the rec centre for sports tournaments, community theatre and meeting spaces as needed.”

The new partnership is natural extension of Kempenfelt Bay School’s endeavor to help student’s achieve a balanced education in academics, the arts and athletics. For the town of Innisfil, Mayor Wauchope said it best when he declared the alliance, “a shining example of three organizations combining their strengths to benefit the entire community.”

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