With Premier Jim Prentice’s recent announcements of cutbacks needed in the public sector (including cabinet ministers taking a five per cent cut in pay) it brings to light — what about the two new K-8 schools on the books for Cochrane?
According to John Wheatley, director of facility planning for Rocky View Schools (RVS), little has changed in the face of the declining economy.
The planned Sunset Ridge K-8 is still slated to open its doors for the 2016/17 school year, as contractor Golden Triangle is currently finalizing its design. Refer to page 20 in this edition of the Eagle to learn more about the ‘Name that School’ contest being held by RVS until March 2, which seeks public input in naming the Sunset Ridge school.
Wheatley said the project is on its way to begin construction by spring, for an estimated 14-month build out that would see the facility completed by June 2016.
The two-story building is similar to the East Lake School in Chestermere, with a permanent build out designed for a capacity of 500, with room for 16 portables to accommodate another 300 (and an additional 100 for overflow). An announcement last October revealed that RVS would receive two new schools for the 2017/18 school year including a new K-8 school to be built in the southern Cochrane community of Fireside.
“This has been approved for planning, which would allow us to move up to the development permit application phase,” said Wheatley.
This school would boast a tighter floor plan than its Sunset counterpart — including a permanent build for a capacity of 650, with room for 10 portables to accommodate another 150 students (with room for an additional 100-student overflow). While nothing is set in stone with respect to a possible spring election and further cutbacks, Wheatley said that, “the project is moving ahead…there would have to be a major collapse to claw back a project with contracts already signed”.
The Fireside school is too early in the planning phase to confirm dates; construction dollars and timelines are yet to be announced.
Because of Cochrane’s explosive growth (10 per cent from 2013-14), the schools are designed to take the overflow from Glenbow Elementary and Mitford — “it’s not like we are waiting for kids to move to Cochrane to populate these schools”.
Wheatley said there would have to be a sharp decline in population (negative growth) to scale back the established need for two new K-8 schools in Cochrane.
