Rocky View Schools (RVS) made a decision at the May 3 board meeting that the trustees will see every day this fall.
The new K-4 Herons Crossing School in Airdrie was supposed to be completed by Aug. 15, 2012, but the contractor is now estimating construction will not wrap until Sept. 13, 2012 — leaving the approximately 161 students enrolled at the new school in limbo.
Trustee Don Thomas made a motion in favour of Superintendent Greg Bass’ recommendation that the students be hosted at RVS’ Education Centre until the school is completed.
“More often than not these three-week delays end up being much longer,” said Thomas.
“This would allow Herons Crossing School and their new principal to start fresh.”
The other options presented to the board were to delay the first day of school until the building was completed and ready for occupancy, or to accommodate the students at Nose Creek School by subdividing the gym and leaving freestanding modular classrooms onsite until the Herons Crossing building was completed.
RVS said it would still have to move furniture and resource material into the building, which would take several more weeks to make the school ready for students after construction is complete.
The construction contract RVS has for Herons Crossing has a liquidated damages clause that requires the contractor to pay the real costs of alternate student accommodation from the contracted completion date (Aug. 15, 2012) to the actual completion date.
The Education Centre, where the board meets and the school trustees’ offices are located, will provide three or four teaching areas in the building’s Wild Rose Rooms, two in the former IMC area, two in the lobby, and school administration will be hosted in the Antelope Room.
Tighter security and police background checks for employees, as well as increased traffic where students would be dropped off each morning were among the concerns listed by several trustees.
The pros ended up outweighing the cons, however, and Trustee Sylvia Eggerer spoke in favour of the move before the board voted.
“Given the overall situation, I don’t have anything better to offer,” said Eggerer.
“I do not like the idea of waiting to start, I do not like the idea of mixing with Nose Creek (School), and I don’t have an alternate location to suggest.”
The board voted unanimously to use the Education Centre to host the Herons Crossing students.
“Another advantage is that Superintendent Bass and his staff will certainly be much closer to students,” joked Thomas.
“They can see first-hand what teachers and support staff do.”
