After a lengthy discussion, the Rocky View Schools board of trustees voted to change its submission to the Province for 2012/13 modular classrooms, March 15.
In November, 2011, the board submitted a request to relocate two modular units from Langdon to Prince of Peace School, two from Langdon to Muriel Clayton, two from Langdon to George McDougall and two from Langdon to Rainbow Creek Elementary School.
The submission also included a request for two new modular classrooms at Ecole Edwards Elementary School, two for Ecole Manachaban Middle School and four freestanding modular classrooms to Nose Creek.
In February, all the relocations were granted but no new portables were approved.
On March 15, based on a review of enrolment trends, trustees decided to change the request from ìmove two modular units from Langdon to George McDougallî to ìmove two modular units from Langdon to Ecole Edwards Elementary School.î
ìThe combined circumstances at George McDougall and Edwards indicate that the need for additional space is more critical in the short-term and longer-term at Edwards,î said Superintendent Greg Bass.
According to the review, in 2014, McDougall will be at 95.7 per cent utilization, while Edwards will be at 109.5 per cent.
ìIt is easier to accommodate more students in a high school setting than it is in an elementary setting because students are already moving from class to class rather than in stationary classrooms,î said Rural Cochrane and Bearspaw Trustee Colleen Munro.
ìThis gives the government some direction with our emerging needs. Things have changed in Rocky View since we made this request in November.î
Two separate amendments were proposed by Airdrie Trustees Don Thomas and Sylvia Eggerer. Both changed the motion drastically and both were defeated in four-to-three votes.
Eggerer said the fact the division is only working with eight portables, instead of the requested 16, drastically changes her opinion on the submission.
ìI had to give an alternative because I could not support going against three of our own policies,î she said.
She said she felt portables should not be going to Prince of Peace, an alternative program, when there are not enough portables for other Rocky View schools. She also said Prince of Peace should not be accepting students outside RVS attendance areas because it is more than 85 per cent full and if they are accepting outside students, that decision should be reviewed every year.
RVS is currently in the process of renewing its contract with Prince of Peace.
Langdon and Indus Trustee Bev LaPeare said Prince of Peace is part of the Rocky View family.
ìWe took this school on board to give parents a choice and it is just as important as any other school in the division,î she said.
Both amendments are Airdrie-centred and the data does not support a drastic need for space in Airdrie, she added.
ìIn 2014, Airdrie is going to have a lot of space (with the addition of two new schools),î she said.
ìThere is a light at the end of the tunnel. The amendment is all about Airdrie and the data does not support all about Airdrie. We talked about capital plan decisions (made by the Province) that are made for political reasons. We criticize that when others do it, so it is wrong for us to make a decision not based on data.î
LaPeare said she would like to make a decision based on the data the division planners presented because they are the hired experts.
Thomas said it is the trusteesí job to analyze the data they are given and make an educated decision.
ìIf we assume the planners know more than us and approve everything they say, we are just rubber stampers,î he said.
ìWe are elected not because we are experts but because we bring a practical and human element to this.î
Trustees voted to request the diversion of two modular units from George McDougall to Edwards, with only Eggerer voting against the motion.
The priority of the requests will be subject to change if a long-term agreement between Prince of Peace and RVS is not reached in May.
