Students and staff at Regina Mundi Catholic College are preparing to return to a brand new school this fall, but the school’s former building will remain in use as enrolment continues to outpace capacity. The $54.3-million replacement school, built on the grounds of the existing Regina Mundi campus off Wellington Street South, has capacity for approximately 700 students. However, the school currently has about 1,100 students enrolled. As a result, the London District Catholic School Board has decided to keep the former school open for at least another year rather than add up to 24 portable classrooms to accommodate the growing student population. “We’ve decided to keep the existing school for one year and continually review the plan as we move forward with the students and enrollment that we’re seeing currently today,” said LDCSB’s executive manager of capital projects Daryl Diegel. The existing building was originally constructed in 1963 as a junior seminary. The new school, which began construction in spring 2024, has been nearly a decade in the making. While the new facility includes updated technology and classroom spaces designed to connect and work together, elements of the former school have also been incorporated into the design. Among them is the distinctive arched ceiling in the school’s cafetorium, which was replicated from the original building. “It’s airy, open and well designed,” said Diegel as he walked down the high ceiling hallways. The decision to operate both buildings reflects a broader challenge facing the London District Catholic School Board as enrolment continues to grow. The board says it has grown by more than 30 per cent over the past five years and now serves more than 28,000 students. It currently has 10 major construction projects underway, including nine new schools and one major addition. The cost of recent and upcoming construction projects is approaching $600 million, before additional land costs. For now, Regina Mundi students will be split between the new and old buildings. School officials say that despite operating in two separate spaces, the goal is to maintain the same sense of community. “Even though we’re working in two buildings, we’re still one school and one family,” said RMC Principle, Kevin Barnes. Students are expected to begin the new school year next week.
