The Ministry of Education has approved $28,818,332 in capital funding for a new 657-pupil-place replacement school for St. Bernadette Catholic Elementary School (CES) in Kitchener.
The project was approved through Phase 2 of the Ministry’s 2025–26 Capital Priorities Program and will proceed through the Ministry’s Enhanced Capital Accountability Framework.
The new school will provide modern, welcoming learning spaces that support the long-term needs of students, staff, and the broader St. Bernadette community.
To allow construction to proceed safely on the existing school property and minimize disruption to student learning, students will temporarily attend a holding school during the construction period.
The building and site of the former St. Francis CES, located at 154 Gatewood Dr, Kitchener will be repurposed to accommodate the St. Bernadette school community for the duration of the reconstruction programme. The St. Francis facility operated as a JK-8 school until 2003, and St. Louis Adult and Continuing Education programming and support services have been operating at the building. Current programming at the St. Francis location will continue without change for the remainder of this school year.
St. Bernadette students will continue to receive the same educational program and supports, and the school community will remain together during the temporary accommodation period.
Specific timelines, including anticipated construction start and completion dates, have not yet been confirmed and will be shared as project planning advances and municipal and provincial approvals are available. Our goal is to have the new St. Bernadette facility ready to open in September 2028. As with any construction project, timelines can shift, and we will keep families informed of our progress along the way.
We understand that changes like these can feel stressful and may raise questions or concerns. To help, we’ve gathered answers to frequently asked questions for both the St. Francis and St. Bernadette locations, which you can find through the links on this page. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this transition together.
