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Horizon looking at gym expansion for Punnichy Elementary

Punnichy Elementary could see a major expansion to its gym. At a board meeting Jan. 16, Horizon School Division trustees voted in favour of costing out and designing a 100 square metre expansion to the school 222.
Punnichy Elementary
Submitted photo by Horizon School Division

Punnichy Elementary could see a major expansion to its gym.

At a board meeting Jan. 16, Horizon School Division trustees voted in favour of costing out and designing a 100 square metre expansion to the school 222.8 square metre gym

Punnichy’s gym is small by Horizon standards, with the average size for an elementary school in the division being 305 square metres.

Kevin Garinger, the division's director of education, said the current gym doesn’t serve the needs of the school.

“We're going to improve the conditions of the gymnasium there, which is going to be tremendous.”

“I think it's a great idea,” said Jim Hack, the division's chair. “I'm looking forward to having that done for the students at Punnichy Elementary.”

The project will be funded by a deferred capital capital revenue fund aimed at schools where there’s First Nation children attending. There’s approximately $1 million left in the fund, which cannot be spent for any other purpose. Earlier this school year, the division tapped into the fund to pay for a portable for Wadena Elementary costing around $300,000.

Expanding the gym was one of the three options the school board look at. The other two options proposed building a brand new 450 square foot gym, adding on to either the east or west side of Punnichy Elementary. Cost estimates to do that were around $3 or $4 million.