While schools will likely remain empty for the remainder of the semester, the Province has renewed its commitment to building a new facility in Morden in its latest budget.

"We know Morden is in need of a new school, and we made that declaration in principle last year, but now we've renewed our pledge to build another 13 schools in ten years," Morden-Winkler MLA Cameron Friesen says. "And we know that the Morden school will be among those new builds."

Friesen says the deciding factor for new schools is demonstrated, consistent population growth, "and we're seeing that demonstration of... student numbers rising in Western School Division."

The projected student population for this fall is 2,160, an almost eight percent increase over last year, while the division saw a five percent increase in support from the Province, or approximately $542,000.

Six new full-time teachers have been approved including two new homerooms at Ecole Morden Middle School and increased education assistant hours throughout the division in its $22.6 million budget revealed this spring.

Two additional modular classrooms have been approved at Ecole Morden Middle School, though the request for a modular classroom at Maple Leaf School has been denied. The request for the start of construction on three stacked classrooms at the Morden Collegiate Institute for September 2021 is pending.

In the board's five-year capital plan, construction is hoped to begin on a new K-8 school in the 2020/2021 year with occupancy by 2022. The board also hopes to see construction begin on a new K-6 school in 2024/2025.

Western School Division currently includes two elementary schools, a middle school, and one high school, as well as the Morden Adult Education Centre.