A new elementary school in the north end of Halifax is just two weeks away from opening its doors to students, after years of delays.

The province says St. Joseph’s-Alexander McKay Elementary School (SJAM) will officially welcome students on Wednesday, February 18.

“SJAM is a cornerstone of the north-end community. Our commitment to families, students and school staff has always been to get them into a 100 per cent complete, safe and welcoming school, and we are now ready to do that,” said Public Works Minister Fred Tilley. “When the bell rings on Day 1, everyone will walk into an exceptional learning space that will support young Nova Scotians for generations to come.”

There will also be a child-care centre with 58 spaces available. That will be open in the coming months.

The new school, that has capacity for 515 pre-primary to Grade 6 students was originally expected to be completed in the winter of 2024, after it was torn down just two years prior.

However, due to what the education department refers to as “unexpected complications”, that kept being pushed back.

It was in June when Public Works sent a letter to families, explaining another delay.

Major construction of the school was finished Monday and now, over the next two weeks, staff and members of the Halifax Regional Centre for Education will test and train on the new school’s system.

Nova Scotia is investing more than $1 billion in new and current schools in the school capital plan, with 19 advancing through the process.