OLDS - The Chinook’s Edge School Division (CESD) board of trustees has a approved the 2023-26 capital plan, which includes a proposed new 400-student, kindergarten to Grade 5 school in Olds.
The plan outlines the division’s most pressing needs, and also includes a new 500-student Penhold Middle School, a new 600-student Grade 10-12 high school in Sylvan Lake, and a new 500-capacity K-8 Liberty Landing School in Red Deer County.
The new Olds school is listed as the third priority on the capital plan after the Penhold and Sylvan Lake schools.
“As the student population grew additional space was a needed at École Olds High School,” the plan states. “CESD added additional classroom space at École Olds High School through adding four relocatable classrooms.
“Olds Career High School moved into École Olds High School in the 2021-22 school year. This resulted in an increase in enrolment of 47 students at École Olds High School. These four additional relocatable classrooms addressed the need for additional space at École High School.”
Olds continues to see steady population growth with an increases of 11.5 per cent to 9,184 since the 2011 census, prompting the need for the new school.
“With continued growth, CESD will be in need of additional classroom space at the elementary school level.”
The plan will now be submitted to Alberta Education for future funding consideration.
In other CESD news, the board has passed a motion authorizing the resumption of staff professional development and student field trips within Canada. The trips were suspended earlier due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trustees heard that the increasing cost of fuel is having an impact on both transportation and facilities budgets, and that supply chain issues have resulted in the delay in delivery of seven new school busses (two wheelchair and five 72-passenger vehicles) due to microchip and parts shortages.
“Delivery is now expected in mid-April,” said superintendent Kurt Sacher.
The board directed Sacher to provide a review of the division’s current procurement practices before the end of May.
The CESD head office will continue to provide PPE until the end of the school year, including KN95 masks and rapid tests for staff, hand sanitizers and extra cleansers for classrooms, he said.
