A major addition to Neepawa Area Collegiate was announced today, that will include a new child care centre.

The announcement was made today by Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart and Indigenous and Municipal Relations Minister Eileen Clarke.

“School enrolment in the area has increased by 33 per cent over the last 10 years and further growth is anticipated,” said Wishart in a release. “Today’s announcement is exciting news for one of Manitoba’s fastest growing communities.”

Wishart said the 38,000-square-foot addition will create a middle years’ school to accommodate up to 450 students in grades five to eight.

The new addition will feature nine classrooms, a gymnasium, library, band room, art room and multipurpose room.

The middle years’ school and high school buildings will be connected sharing sports fields, bus loops and parking lots. Once construction is completed Hazel M. Kellington School nearby will also realign to create a school for children in kindergarten to grade four.

The province is also investing in a new stand- alone child-care centre on the high school grounds to accommodate 20 infants and 54 pre-school children.

Wishart said the new expansion will cost more than $92.4 million spent by the province for public school infrastructure projects, prioritizing the health and safety of students and educators and accommodating growing student enrollment across the province.

There are approximately 185,000 students in nearly 700 kindergarten to grade 12 public schools across the province.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2018 and open in September 2019.