"New Credit School right on schedule"

NEW CREDIT - The new school that is currently being built on New Credit is right on schedule and should have no difficulties opening for the '98 school year starting in September.

"The weather has been marvellous for construction and the school itself should be completed by the middle of August," said Bryan LaForme, the Director of Education for New Credit. "We are right on schedule."

The new school, contracted out to Kevin Martin Design Build Services of Six Nations, is approximately 20,000 square feet in size and is located on New Credit road. It will hold Grades kindergarten through to Grade 8 and is available to all members of the New Credit First Nation community. The new school will also include a multi-purpose room for community events, an elementary sized gymnasium along with all the required classrooms. For those people who have children attending school off of New Credit in Grades 7-8 this year, LaForme says that the option is up to them whether they wish to remain at their current schools or to come back to the new school to finish their final year. "We have many kids who are currently attending school in Hagersville for Grades 7 and 8, but they are not excluded from enrolling into this new school come the fall," said LaForme. "Again, this transition period only affects the students in these grades."

Back in October of '97, the New Credit community had a sod turning and blessing ceremony for the new school. Upon completion, the project is expected to cost an estimated 3.7 million dollars, funds generated from the Department of Indian Affairs. There have been no reports to suggest that these budget costs have swayed from these original estimates. At the opening ceremonies, LaForme saw this project as having unlimited use within the community.

"This is something we have waited a long time for. A new school will enable us to provide the community with greater educational and recreational opportunities. In the past, our children and band members were required to travel to outside communities to utilize various sports and recreational equipment."