New $79-million high school to be built in south Edmonton
Premier set to announce facility that has long topped public board’s wish list
Premier Rachel Notley will announce the construction of a longsought new public high school in south Edmonton on Friday.
The first phase of the $79-million high school for 1,800 students in Heritage Valley is at the top of Edmonton Public Schools’ want list.
“We’re excited. We need it. We need two. We need more,” Edmonton Public school board chairwoman Michelle Draper said Thursday.
Parents and public school trustees have fervently lobbied the provincial government for more high schools as a glut of elementary school students age into the junior high years.
In February, Edmonton Public Schools administrators said there was an “urgent” need to build new high schools. Buildings will be full in four years, and the district will need space for 6,000 more high school pupils by 2025, they said.
Some junior high students dislike potential stop-gap solutions the district might use, such as staggering classes into the evening, or offering more courses online.
Notley and Education Minister David Eggen will announce funding and approval for the construction project Friday morning at Roberta MacAdams School in southwest Edmonton, said a Thursday news release from government.
The district plans to build the school in two phases — first, a $79-million building to accommodate 1,800 students, and later, a $9-million addition to accommodate 600 more students.
Also on the district’s construction priority list are the $58-million first phase of a high school in Glenridding Heights in southwest Edmonton for 1,600 students, and the $79-million first phase of a high school in southeast Edmonton.
After a drought of new school construction in the early 2000s, school districts are playing catchup, Draper said.
“We’re pleased that they’re listening and they’re hearing. I know that there’s been lots of community conversations about this,” she said.
Enrolment in Edmonton public schools has grown by 19,000 students in the last seven years, a 24 per cent increase.