Private school set to open in former SCITS building in Sarnia

Taylor Dark has been appointed principal of Royal SCITS Academy, a private elementary and secondary school set to begin classes in September in a historic former high school building on Wellington Street in Sarnia.

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Dark began teaching in the public education system locally seven years ago and for the past two years has owned Tutor Doctor, a company providing one-to-one tutoring.

“Royal SCITS reached out to me for Tutor Doctor to help with their summer camp,” she said.

After getting to know the owners and their plans, “it just seems like a good fit to step in to the principal’s position here,” Dark said.

Jamie Gallacher, a director and owner with Royal SCITS Academy, said the private school will offer kindergarten through Grade 12 with “a big focus on athletics” as well as academics, including science and the arts.

“We’ve got such a great building with all the facilities, so we’re definitely going to be taking advantage of that,” he said.

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The former Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School (SCITS) was sold in 2021 by the Lambton Kent District School Board after the public high school was merged with St. Clair secondary school to become Great Lakes secondary school on Murphy Road.

The original section of the Wellington Street site was built in 1922.

“A big thing we wanted to do was keep the heritage and pay homage to all the people who created this building,” Gallacher said about the decision to include SCITS in the new name.

“A lot of people hold this place close and dear to their heart,” he said.

Initially, plans for a private school at the site focused on international students, but there was a change in federal policy, plus, “we saw there was an alternative need in the community,” Gallacher said.

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“We launched Royal SCITS Academy, and we’ll be ready to take enrolments for September,” he said.

“We’re really wanting to give the students more hands-on learning experience in the classroom, doing engaging activities,” Dark said.

“We want to be a very supportive building for the students,” she said.

The school’s athletics component will be a “huge” part of the school which will take a “wholeistic” approach aimed at benefiting students’ mental health, including daily physical education, she said.

The academy has a relationship with a provider of experts in mental health and wellness, “and students will have access to those professionals,” leaving teachers free to concentrate on teaching, Gallacher said.

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There will also be small classes with 10 to 15 students in a classroom.

Royal SCITS Academy has partnerships in place connected to its focus on athletics, “to give kids the most experience and the best possible path,” Gallacher said.

He said they hope to have between 50 and 100 pupils and students enrolled in the fall, both from the local community and from outside of it.

“Private school on this level locally is new to the area, so there’s a bit of a learning curve,” he said.

Annual tuition for elementary pupils is $12,000 and a total of $250,000 in scholarship funding is available, said Devon Vosbourgh, the academy’s enrollment officer.

“It’s a great opportunity to get your foot in the door and experience everything we have,” she said.

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Application information for scholarships, the coming school year and summer camps being offered at the site can be found online at www.royalscitsacademy.ca. Families are encouraged to reach out for opportunities to tour the building, Vosbourgh said.

Work has been carried out to get the site “all up to code” and ready to welcome students in September, Gallacher said.

Initially, the academy will use space in a single-storey addition to the site with 10 to 12 Sarnia School classrooms.

“The school is coming back and we’re really excited about that,” Gallacher said.

Work on the exterior of the building, including the sports field and landscaping, is planned during the next month, Gallacher said.

The school has begun hiring teachers and is expected to have a total staff of 10 to 15, including administration and support staff.

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