The bulk of Thursday's (March 16) Rocky View School Board meeting focused on the 2018-2021 Three Year Capital Plan.

The division is required to submit a 3-year plan to Alberta Education before April 1 for approval by the government. The Capital Plan outlines 23 priority projects over the next three years, with eight listed for 2018.

During the presentation, two challenges were highlighted in Rocky View: The need for new schools due to explosive growth, and the need to modernize old schools. Board Chair Colleen Munro explained the urgency with which new schools are needed in Rocky View.

"The last censuses for Cochrane, Airdrie and Chestermere have shown that they are three of the four fastest growing municipalities in all of Canada, and they are within our Rocky View borders. We have schools that are at 85 per cent capacity utilization right now. If we do not get any new schools in next week's announcement, and the new schools that are on this new Capital Plan that we just passed, we are going to be as a system close to 100 per cent utilized in a couple of school years, and 100 percent utilization means that we are scrambling to find spaces that are not classrooms to educate students in."

Currently, two new schools are needed in Rocky View every year to accommodate growth. Airdrie grows so fast that one new school is needed every year, while a new school is needed in both Chestermere and Cochrane every two years.

The last school's approved by the province in Rocky View were Fireside School in Cochrane, and Windsong Heights and Heron's Crossing addition in Airdrie. Those schools were approved in 2014. As of the meeting, none of the projects prioritized in last years Capital Plan have been approved for funding.

Munro emphasized that if Rocky View hits 100 per cent utilization, students could be placed in gyms, learning commons, and even hallways for classes.

The Board was unified in expressing the urgency with which new schools are needed in the division, and some expressed frustration with the Provincial Government slowness to act. Trustee Helen Clease said it sometimes feels like the board is making a wish list and hoping someone will listen, while Trustee Bev LaPeare said she wished the government would pick up on Rocky View's needs.

Munro elaborated on the source of those frustrations.

"We have very little opportunity politician to politician, trustees to the minister to be able to find where our Capital Plan is and what we might be expecting. It's the void of not knowing that we are frustrated with."

Ultimately, the Capital Plan was accepted unanimously.

 

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