Rocky View Schools (RVS) approved its 2017 to 2019 capital plan March 17, outlining a list of infrastructure projects needed to facilitate additional students in a growing school division.
Projects prioritized as part of last year’s capital plan, including construction funding for the new Airdrie kindergarten to Grade 8 school forecasted to open in 2017, have yet to be approved by Alberta Education.
“We do not have word on project approvals from 2016 to 2019. We expect them in the April budget, so we might have word of approvals from our 2016 to 2019 plan April 14 or shortly thereafter,” RVS Superintendent of Business and Operations Darrell Couture said. “But we are required to submit (the new plan) April 1. So we’re not going to hear about last year’s plan before we’re required to submit.”
Among the projects listed in the 2017 budget year of the new capital plan is a new Chestermere kindergarten to Grade 9 school, which would open with a starting capacity of 900 students.
Although schools in Chestermere are projected to be well beyond 100 per cent capacity by 2020, Trustee Todd Brand had concerns with prioritizing the new school at number two on the list without having a confirmed school site. Historically, without a confirmed school site, Alberta Education would reject school applications, he said.
“We cannot put something on our capital plan if there is not a site ready. Number two priority is a high priority,” he said. “Are we wasting time by putting it at number two, as much as we need it?”
“Alberta Education is somewhat relaxing their approach if we can prove site readiness, and we think we can in Chestermere,” Couture said. “That large developer is going to start development, the City of Chestermere will hopefully be willing to write a letter by the time the government considers these projects by next year.”
Brand also had concerns with the lack of a student impact plan as provided with the capital plan, questioning the priorities of listed projects without supplemental documentation.
“What’s lacking is a summary. That was included in last year’s plan, the student impact,” he said. “If someone were to ask, why is priority five where it is? I’m having to take administration’s word on it.”
Couture said that pending projects from the 2016 to 2019 capital plan influenced where projects were prioritized in this year’s plan.
“If we had no previous discussion, we might’ve said that the Chestermere kindergarten to Grade 9 school was the most important,” he said. “But we’ve had previous discussions with Alberta Education (based on) approvals they’re going to make in April.
“So it isn’t a blank sheet. Our plan was already submitted.”
The first priority on this year’s plan is the new Airdrie kindergarten to Grade 8 school in the city’s Hillcrest community. If approved, the school will take 30 months to completion.
Other items on year one of the new capital plan include a new Springbank kindergarten to Grade 8 school, replacement schools in both Cochrane and Indus, as well as a modernization project for George McDougall High School career and technology studies programs.
“Experience has shown us that for year two and three, we won’t get anything announced in the next year. The focus should be on year one,” Trustee Fiona Gilbert said. “Things can change. The document is a living document.”
Trustees voted to submit the capital plan with trustees Brand and Sylvia Eggerer voting in opposition.
“In Airdrie and Chestermere, we can show from historical as well as projected (data) that we need these schools,” Couture said. “Absolutely, we can prove that, beyond doubt, we need those projects.”
