Catholic board ‘in desperate need’ of new schools: official

An influx of students in Edmonton’s Catholic suburban schools and high schools has pushed several buildings beyond capacity, an assistant superintendent says.

Although enrolment growth this fall was slightly less than expected, some suburban Edmonton Catholic schools are full just a couple of years after opening their doors, John Fiacco, assistant superintendent of educational planning, said last week.

“That’s why when we look ahead, we’re in desperate need for new schools,” Fiacco said. “We’re hoping that we can work in concert with the provincial government to make it happen.”

An official student tally on Sept. 30 found 43,098 students enrolled in Edmonton Catholic Schools, which is 579 more, or 1.3 per cent more, than this time last year. Although it’s the smallest jump in the district’s growth during the last eight years, the number of Catholic students citywide has ballooned by 28 per cent since the fall of 2010.

The new students are putting particular pressure on Catholic high schools and some newer suburban elementary and junior high schools.

The school district may need to expedite a request for a new $42-million, 1,000-student high school in the north Edmonton neighbourhood of Dunluce thanks to demand at Archbishop O’Leary high. The request is now in eighth place on its construction priority list.

O’Leary, which just had a major upgrade, is estimated to reach 110 per cent to 115 per cent capacity this fall, Fiacco said.

Higher up the Catholic school board’s want list is a $40-million, 1,200-pupil high school in south Edmonton’s Heritage Valley. The government has already approved a new $79-million public high school for that site.

Although the district had hoped an expansion of Holy Trinity High School in Mill Woods would buy them some time until 2022, Fiacco said the space for 400 more students will be full by the time the extension opens in 2020.

The Catholic district also hopes for a new K-6 school in the westend neighbourhood of Secord for another 600 children. Sister Annata Brockman School in the Hamptons, and Bishop David Motiuk School — which opened just one year ago — are both at capacity, Fiacco said.

Christ the King, a K-9 school in northeast Edmonton that opened in September 2017, saw 129 more children show up compared to last fall, pushing it just over capacity with 759 students.

Although not full yet, Corpus Christi Elementary/Junior High School in the southeast neighbourhood of Walker also experienced a 25 per cent leap in enrolment this fall, Fiacco said.

Also, Leger-area K-9 school Archbishop Joseph MacNeil saw a 26 per cent spike in enrolment this fall.

Compounding the problem this fall was a delay in the arrival of 10 modular classrooms, Fiacco said.

In November 2017, Alberta’s education minister announced $25.5 million for construction of a new Catholic elementary school in the Orchards at Ellerslie in southeast Edmonton. Divine Mercy School is scheduled to open in fall 2020.

However, Catholic board trustees were frustrated to be left out of a March 2018 government announcement of 20 more school construction projects.

Edmonton Public Schools has yet to release its enrolment figures for 2018-19.