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The Alberta government announced funding for nine new school projects across Calgary on Feb. 27, making good on its Schools Now program with a package that includes seven new schools, one replacement school, and one addition to an existing building.
The announcement comes as the Calgary Board of Education has been stretching to accommodate a rapidly growing student population. As of last September, CBE schools were operating at a 95 per cent utilization rate — and over the next decade, 179 of the board's schools, roughly 70 per cent of its buildings, will surpass their standard 50-year design life. In short, the system has been running out of room.
Board Chair Laura Hack welcomed the news, saying the investment will mean thousands of CBE students will be able to attend school closer to home. She thanked Education Minister Nicolaides for his commitment to the program, calling it a meaningful response to the board's urgent need for more space.
The funded projects span several of Calgary's newer communities as well as established neighbourhoods with aging infrastructure:
Walden Elementary — new school (design phase)
Carrington Elementary — new school (planning)
Cityscape Elementary — new school (planning)
Kincora | Sage Hill Elementary — new school (planning)
Mahogany Elementary — new school (planning)
Country Hills K-9 — new school (planning)
Legacy Middle School — new school (planning)
Joanne Cardinal–Schubert High School — addition (planning)
Former Kensington School Site — replacement school (planning)
The CBE's next Three-Year School Capital Plan, which will outline the board's upcoming priorities for new schools, modernizations, and modular classrooms, is set to go before the Board of Trustees at a public meeting on March 17.
