The Education Minister says it's time to start investing in Douglas' schools, first with the replacement of Park Road.
A site at Bemahague Avenue has long been mooted as the location for a new high school but little progress has been made, until now.
Anne Craine says the Council of Ministers has agreed to the development in principle, the first phase of which will come before next month's Tynwald sitting.
Mrs Craine (pictured) says it's a pressing matter due, among other things, to a lack of space.
She told Manx Radio:
"We are very cramped on the Park Road site and what I would like to make clear is we are replacing Park Road with this new Bemahague school, which will become part of the overall St Ninian's provision.
"There (at Park Road) we have 475 pupils operating on an acre site, whereas the recommended size for that number of children is about eight acres."
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