Alberta gov’t announces 18 new schools for Calgary, surrounding area

The province is promising Calgary families smaller class sizes and shorter commutes to school through more than a dozen projects that will see new schools spread across the city.

A Friday announcement saw Premier Danielle Smith, flanked by Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, announce 18 new grade schools coming to Calgary and its surrounding area.

The government says the new schools will add 14,400 more student spaces. The list includes:

Projects with design approval

• Calgary Board of Education – grades 5 to 9 in Aspen Woods
• Calgary Board of Education – grades 6 to 9 in Cityscape/Redstone
• Calgary Board of Education – grades K to 5 in Cornerstone
• Calgary Board of Education – grades 6 to 9 in Cornerstone
• Calgary Board of Education – grades K to 6 in Livingston
• Calgary Board of Education – grades 7 to 9 in Mahogany
• Calgary Board of Education – grades K to 4 in Nolan Hill
• Calgary Board of Education – grades K to 5 in Sage Hill
• Calgary Board of Education – grades 6 to 9 in Sage Hill/Kincora
• Calgary Board of Education – grades 5 to 9 in Sherwood/Nolan Hill
• Calgary Catholic School District – grades K to 9 in Cornerston

Projects with planning approval

• Calgary Catholic School District – grades K to 9 in Carrington
• Calgary Catholic School District – grades K to 9 in Walden
• Rocky View Schools – grades K to 8 in Airdrie
• Rocky View Schools – grades 10 to 12 in Chestermere

The funding will also include the modernization of École de la Rose sauvage in northwest Calgary, and two new public charter schools in the southeast and northeast.

Calgary Board of Education (CBE) chair Patricia Bolger says the new spaces are desperately needed to meet the city’s growing demand.

“Right now, CBE schools are full and many are overflowing,” she says. “More than a third of our 250 schools are operating at a 100 per cent utilization, or higher.”

Nicolaides says $1.1. billion will be provided over three years for 4,000 more teachers and education workers to help staff the schools.

Funding for the new schools and teachers has been tabled in the latest proposed budget, which has yet to be approved.