Foothills School Division hopes new money for schools will speed up construction of its top priority, a new high school in Okotoks.
Due to rapid enrollment growth across the province, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced an $8.6-billion School Construction Accelerator Program in September to create new and modernized space for more than 200,000 students.
Up to 30 new schools and up to eight modernization or replacement projects will be approved each year for the next three years, starting in Budget 2025.
Speaking at a press conference about the accelerator program, Smith said a record number of people are moving to Alberta, resulting in about 33,000 more students in K to 12 classrooms each year.
“Our education system is experiencing an unprecedented surge in student population,” Smith said. “That’s a testament to the Alberta advantage, our strong economy and the great quality of life that people find here.”
A new high school in Okotoks, with capacity for 1,200 students, has been the top priority for the Foothills School Division (FSD) since 2022, and has been on the list of wants since 2015. Granted design funding in the spring, the new school will eventually be built in the Wedderburn neighbourhood at the north end of town.
Money from the Province for new school projects comes in stages: pre-planning, planning, design and construction. Construction funding still needs to be approved for the high school in Okotoks.
To speed construction of school projects, the accelerator program enables them to be approved for their next stage without having to wait for the next budget cycle. Previously-approved projects in the planning and design stages can move to the next stage as soon as they are ready, the Province said.
Foothills School Division said it is pleased to see the Province addressing the rapid growth in student enrollment across Alberta.
Built for 1,000 students, the exisiting Foothills Composite High School had more than 1,400 kids enrolled last year, FSD said.
Rounding out the top-three capital priorities at FSD are a new, 900-student K to 9 school in Okotoks, and the modernization of Senator Riley School in High River.
