REGINA — Work has begun on Regina Huda School’s second expansion project.
The Islamic school held a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday for the project, which Regina Huda School president Ayman Aboguddah said will help them continue raising the bar for education.
“We want to keep it this way and continue attracting people to Saskatchewan.”
The approximately 80,000-square-foot expansion will include 16 new classrooms, a library, a permanent mosque capable of holding about 1,500 people, an international-standard gymnasium and other facilities. The added space is intended to address growing enrolment, as well as capacity pressures in prayer areas.
Aboguddah described the potential for the new spaces.
“We can have dedicated rooms for activities, rather than doing it in the gym or here and there.
"The gym will be a place where you can hold celebrations and graduations.”
The design of the second expansion took five years, as Aboguddah said the goal was to ensure the space was as optimal as possible.
“Let it be comfortable, civilized, convenient, with extra attention to the flow of people, the safety, and how they come here.”
The total cost of the project is slated at approximately $23 million.
Aboguddah said the school will rely on community donations to fund its expansion.
To ensure the project can move ahead gradually, it will be completed in phases.
Aboguddah is hopeful it can be completed in the next two to three years, welcoming more children to a school where they’ll learn to understand religions and become community leaders.
Regina Huda School is an associate school under the Regina Public Schools division. Operating as a non-profit, co-educational Islamic institution, it provides an education that blends the Saskatchewan provincial curriculum with Islamic studies and character development, according to their website.
