Students in a remote First Nation in northwestern Ontario will soon have the option of finishing high school in their home community.

Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation, also known as Big Trout Lake, will receive funding from Indigenous Services Canada of over $42 million "to build a new school up to Grade 12."

Congratulations to Chief Morris and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation! Funding has been secured and a new K4-12 school is coming to Big Trout Lake. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FNinfra?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FNinfra</a> <a href="https://t.co/qvbUaGWmhp">pic.twitter.com/qvbUaGWmhp</a> —@Anne_RDGON

"To us, this is good news because it gives the opportunity for our kids to stay here and finish Grade 12 and then either move on to college or university," said KI First Nation Chief, Donny Morris.

He said currently, students in KI can only be taught up to Grade 10 but that's not the only problem as the school is old, too small and in need of major repairs.

"Sometimes one side of the school will have heat, the other won't and sometimes it will get too cold," he said, "and then when you look at the foundation, in the gym, you see the cracks on the walls, the foundation, and around the building."

Currently, Morris said that a location has been determined for where the new school will be constructed and materials to start the project will be delivered next winter, using the winter roads.

"There's something as a leader I've never done in my life is acknowledging all these semi-truck drivers that haul-in our fuel, gas and materials," Morris added, "and I'd like to say thank you to them all."

He said, once the new school is up and running, the old facility will be demolished.