INNISFAIL - Chinook’s Edge School Division's (CESD) board of trustees approved the 11,700-student division’s 2026-29 capital plan Tuesday, which continues to include a new school in Olds, and projects in Carstairs and Innisfail.
The approval came during the March 11 board meeting held in Innisfail, according to highlights of the meeting issued by the school division.
The plan sets out the following five priorities for the division, ranked in order from top to bottom:
• new Grade 10-12 high school in Sylvan Lake.
• modernization of Innisfail High School.
• new elementary school in Olds.
• new middle school in Carstairs or modernization of Hugh Sutherland School.
• new K-8 school in Liberty Landing at Gasoline Alley in Red Deer County south of Red Deer.
The plan will be submitted to Alberta Infrastructure of consideration.
During the board meeting, trustees listed the new Grade 10-12 school in Sylvan Lake as urgent.
The plan mirrors the 2024-27 plan except for the Carstairs project is moved up ahead of the Liberty Landing project in the 2026-29 plan.
Also during the March 11 board meeting, trustees received an update on rising transportation costs.
“Trustees were informed of the increasing costs of transportation that are happening throughout the province. This includes the cost of purchasing buses which is up by more than 10 per cent. The board is hoping that there will be an increase in provincial funding that covers the rising costs in transportation.”
Meanwhile, trustees have appointed Jason Drent as corporate secretary effective July 1. Drent, the current associate superintendent of Learning Services, will replace Shawn Russell, who is retiring on July 1.
CESD is headquartered in Innisfail and includes school across the region.
