One of Cochrane’s oldest – and only Catholic – elementary/middle school is described by parents as a warm and inclusive community. But when it comes to the building structure itself, parents are raising concerns. “It’s a wonderful school. They have a wonderful community and they work with the kids on a weekly basis about building that community and teaching,” said Laura Talsma, secretary of the Holy Spirit School Council. “Our school isn’t very indicative of what kind of community that we have. Our building is dilapidated.” The exterior is a stark contrast to the modern facilities of Rocky View Schools (RVS) – which leases the Holy Spirit property to (Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) – or even its feeder school, St. Timothy’s. Its sun-weathered blue paint has been left dated and patchy as though it has been chipping for more than a few years. Parents have said its field looks trampled and the interior could use at least new floors, windows and a paint job. “I think that it’s unfortunate that we have that school and it’s in the heart of the town and it is an eyesore.” Chris Melby, who has one child in third grade at the school, agreed. “It definitely needs some work,” Melby said. “Paint is one of them. Potentially re-sodding the large grassy area... cause it’s pretty worn out. Stuff looks pretty aged that’s for sure.” Unfortunately for students and parents, there are no renovations lined up for the school on the CCSD capital plan list and a timeframe for new elementary school build has not been nailed down yet, though it is expected sometime in the 2020s. Funding for new school builds and school modernizations is determined by the provincial government, but the order in which they are prioritized is decided by the capital plan written by CCSD. The province has the final say in which projects will go ahead. Joanna French, spokesperson for CCSD, said a conversation at the provincial level may help determine when Cochrane residents could see a new school. Getting renovations for the school is the responsibility of CCSD even though the property is leased from RVS. French added that as far as student population is concerned, both CCSD Cochrane schools are operating at close to an 80 per cent utilization rate. “Our capital plan projects are prioritized and reviewed annually to reflect growth and development trends to ensure support for Catholic schools in the communities where our families live,” said Superintendent Mark Rawlek in an email statement to the Cochrane Eagle. “We will continue to work closely with Alberta Infrastructure and Alberta Education to ensure our capital plan priorities are recognized and considered for provincial funding.”
