Update as of November 25, 2025:

The Town of Kingsville is providing the community an update on the school properties.

In June 2024, three school properties in Kingsville closed permanently and remain vacant today.

The Town began discussions with the community in 2024, both in person at several public meetings and online, about whether the municipality should try to buy one or more of the school properties.

Council and staff considered the pros and cons, including the potential that the properties could fall into disrepair or be developed in a manner that does not reflect the community’s values and wishes.

Council directed staff to express interest in purchasing the High School and KPS and include a proposal to build attainable housing and create public use spaces.

Staff obtained property appraisals, engaged with the school board, and then several ministries of the provincial government. The Mayor and members of Council made presentations to several Ministers and ministry staff. Significant time has been put into this process.

When disposing of surplus properties, the legislative process gives public sector organizations the opportunity to submit an “expression of interest” to purchase the property, with a view to buying it before it goes on sale on the open market.

In response to a formal request from the province, Kingsville submitted an expression of interest in May 2025. Today, the province has responded that our expression of interest has “not been accepted”. The province did not share its reasoning for the denial. It is our understanding that the school board may now list the properties for sale on the open market.

On September 17, 2024 this project was updated to include:

• Appraisal Reports for Kingsville High School and Kingsville Public School (See Documents)
• Update on Minister of Education Meeting at AMO
• Mayor's Vision Presentation Slides, as presented at September 16, 2024 Committee of the Whole (See Documents)

Please note: "Documents" is located in the bottom/right of your screen if you're on a PC, and at the bottom of your screen if you're on a mobile device.

The new Kindergarten to Grade 12 district school is now open, and the three closed schools will eventually be listed for sale.

Kingsville Town Council will face an important decision that will have a lasting impact on our community: Should the municipality "buy" or "not buy" one or more of these properties?

Can we afford to purchase one or more of these properties? It might be expensive.

Can we afford not to purchase one or more of these properties? The community would have little or no control over the property's future.

It is a complicated discussion with pros and cons for each side. If we choose not to buy, we avoid the financial costs and increased property taxes associated with purchasing. But, we will have little control over the future of the properties, which could end up as boarded-up eyesores in our community if purchased by a distant investor who is okay with sitting on it for years. Buying the properties gives us complete control over redevelopment and architectural use. But, it could be costly due to unknown conditions and prices, and limited savings.

More to Consider:

Recent changes in provincial rules now require us to participate in an Open-Market Competitive Purchase. However, we could forgo this by committing to incorporate the "Affordable Housing" Provincial Priority in our plan for the properties. We would still pay Full Market Value (there is no getting around that), but we could avoid a potential bidding war. Affordable Housing is also important to our Town, so we requested a conversation with the Province to determine exactly what this commitment entails. During the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference in August, we met with the Minister of Education. We're now in the process of scheduling further discussions based on this initial contact.

Why are we doing this before we have all the information?

Administration is being transparent with the Mayor, Council and community members who should be well-informed with the information available to us and the implications of these decisions. When these properties become available, we might need to act (or not act) quickly. Council may even need to decide before they have all the information. This is not ideal, but it is outside our control.

Members of Administration and Council are engaging here on our public forum instead of on social media. Please review the presentation materials on this project page, and watch the live stream recording from the July 29th public meeting, to help inform your opinion.

Why bother? They're just going to do what they want anyways...

This is a significant decision that must be decided in the coming months and year. While the decision ultimately lies with our elected Council, citizens need to voice their opinions and ensure Council understands the overall public sentiment before they make any final choices.

If the Town purchases one or more of the properties, will there be more public consultation?

Yes absolutely. If the decision is made to purchase, there are several options available including quickly selling to a developer, rezoning, demolition of buildings, and keeping some of the lands for public use. There will be more public consultation if that occurs.

Please ask questions and we will do our best to answer them.

We hope you will be kind in your comments, respect diverse opinions, and understand that your elected officials are trying their best to serve this community that belongs to us all.