Rocky View Schools unanimously approved a contingency plan that asks for an additional $7 million from the Province for a new school and eight portables, Dec. 16.
The 17,000-square foot K-4 school would be built in Coopers Crossing, costing $4.635 million and open in September, 2013. The portables would be located at George McDougall High School and Nose Creek Elementary in Airdrie, and Mitford Middle School in Cochrane. In addition, Mitford is to receive an internal renovation to accommodate a separate Christian program.
Under the contingency plan, the school board will pay for another new school, Williamstown K-4 in Airdrie. This school will cost $5.9 million and would open in September 2012.
The division previously asked the provincial government to construct a middle school and high school in Airdrie and a K-9 facility in Chestermere, bringing total request to four schools and eight portables by 2015.
Darrell Couture, associate superintendent of business and operations, said the K-9 and middle school would total about $19 million. The new high school is estimated at $40 million.
“We’re talking of a building as big as Bert Church High School,” said Couture. “Maybe even a little bigger than that.”
Couture said the Province should be approving new schools year after year due to the explosive population growth within the school division.
“We’re growing at 500 kids a year,” he said. “That’s one new school every year of growth, minimum.”
If the Province denies the school board its requests, trustees will meet in the new year to determine a new contingency plan.
Trustees voiced their displeasure about holding contingency talks and felt largely ignored by the provincial government.
“No matter what we’re doing, the problem’s not going to go away,” said Ward 4 Trustee Helen Clease. “We’re going to be constantly behind the eight ball on this one.”
“I find it very frustrating that we have to put one single dollar into contingency planning,” said Bev LaPeare, vice chair.
“We’re a fast growing jurisdiction and we should be recognized as such. I find it deplorable that we need to be having these discussions.”
Ward 5 Trustee Colleen Munro had scathing words for the Province.
“I don’t buy the money crunch argument because these requests were put in far before the economic downturn of 2008,” said Munro.
“We’ve been painted into a corner and we have to act because we have to accommodate these students.”
Superintendent of Schools Greg Bass was visibly frustrated and called the board’s predicament “very out of sync.”
“We’ve been forecasting this accommodation crisis for five years,” he said.
“The fact of the matter is we’re at a point now where we’re desperate for space.”
