School divisions release infrastructure wish lists

By Peggy Revell on March 31, 2018.

prevell@medicinehatnews.com @MHNprevell

Local school divisions are in the midst of presenting and approving their three-year capital plans — a “wish list” for the province on what infrastructure is needed.

While the needs for SD 76 have been met in the last number of years with capital projects like Hat High’s modernization, Roy Wilson and Ken Sauer Schools, superintendent Mark Davidson said the board has a “long way to go as a system” due to the age of the buildings.

“We have buildings in excess of a 100 years old. We have the dual challenge right now of keeping up with enrolment growth … and the fact that you have old buildings, (and) that the older they get the more difficult, the more costly they are to maintain, which means you have fewer resources to spread across the system to keep buildings current.”

Top of the list for SD 76 is a complete modernization of Connaught School, with the estimated cost of around $19 million.

“We expect, if approved, that everything except the historic exterior of the building and the stairwell railings would be completely modified,” said Davidson. “We would also expect if approved that the 1950s wing would be taken down and that new wing would be built off the south side of the school, pushing in towards the existing playfield.”

Modernizations of River Heights, Crestwood School and Alexandra Middle School are next on the priority list.

“All of those schools require full modernization,” said Davidson. “That would mean completely redone electrical, plumbing, fit and finish of the classrooms, everything you see internal to the building would be modernized. Likely there would be modernized to roofs.”

The “very rough” cost of these would be $35 million, said Davidson, although a clearer picture of the cost will come when the projects get closer to approval and a value-scoping process is completed.

SD 76’s 3-year capital plan will be presented to trustees in April.

Prairie Rose

Prairie Rose School Division approved its three-year capital plan at its March meeting — with a modernization of Burdett School at the top of the wish list.

Burdett is one of the older schools in the division, said secretary-treasurer Ryan Boser. While other parts of the division are facing enrolment declines, Burdett still has a fairly high utilization rate and has stayed “fairly status quo.”

“The building itself is in need of a renovation, with respects to updating the HVAC mechanical system and electrical system,” he said.

An addition would hopefully include a shop space, as there isn’t one for the school and students utilize the one at Senator Gershaw in Bow Island.

“As well we have two portables … to help with the number of students. Those don’t currently link to the school. They’re stand-alone units, so one of the additions would be that we would basically get all that linked up to the current school building.”

The estimated cost for the renovation is $2,481,000, while the addition has no dollar value attached to that yet.

The next priorities for PRSD is a middle school in Redcliff, alongside a modernization of Parkside School — priced at $13,963,000 and $2,231,000 respectively.

“We expect the Town of Redcliff community to continue to grow,” said Boser, with the new middle school then taking in some Parkside students, and moving the Redcliff Mennonite Alternative Program over to operate inside Parkside School. A driver for the new middle school is creating shop space class for students, which doesn’t exist right now.

Nos. 4 and 5 priorities are value management analysis of South Central High School in Oyen and Foremost School.

Catholic board

With its top two priorities — the McCoy modernization and ƒcole St. John Paul II — achieved, the Medicine Hat Catholic Board is in the midst of re-evaluating its entire capital plan, said MHCBE secretary-treasurer Greg MacPherson.

“We expect to have something out soon,” he said, “We’re in the process of just going through the whole process, and we’ve engaged with a consultant to provide some guidance in terms of how we move forward on a long-term basis.”

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