Schools

An ongoing challenge for school boards is the lack of predictable funding to build and maintain public schools in our communities. One of my reasons for running as a public school trustee was the belief that public schools are an essential service in our communities.

The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) develops and submits a new three year School Capital Plan annually as required by the provincial government. The CBE uses ranking criteria to evaluate communities for elementary and middle/junior high schools with statistical information provided by the city census and transportation data. Each new School Capital Plan reflects the newest information available and ranks communities as priorities. The provincial government reviews priorities from school boards across the province and decides what projects to fund.

For many years, new school construction was not funded by the government. In 2004, the Board of Trustees suggested to the provincial government that an alternative funding model would address the backlog of new schools needed in Calgary. In 2008, the government finally made a funding announcement for six new elementary schools which opened for student learning this September in the communities of Saddle Ridge, Evergreen, Bridlewood, Cranston, Royal Oak and West Springs. Funding was announced in 2009 for four middle schools in the communities of Panorama Hills, Coventry Hills, Taradale and Tuscany and these schools will open September 2012. Ongoing advocacy for a predictable funding model is required to ensure that public schools continue to be built close to where students live. Equally important is to provide modernization funding so that older schools are able to offer learning environments that reflect today’s teaching and use of technology.

For more information on current priorities, please go to the CBE website at: www.cbe.ab.ca/aboutus/documents/2011-2014SchoolCapitalPlan.pdf. The first year of priorities includes a middle school for Saddle Ridge and a new high school located at Saddletown Circle.

Recent News:

Sept. 3, 2010: Read the Calgary Herald article by Sean Myers in which Lynn Ferguson, Wards 3 and 4 CBE Trustee discusses the need for more schools in Calgary.

Sept. 2, 2010: Watch Lynn Ferguson's CTV interview by Kari Eyles on the need for new Calgary schools.

Lynn Ferguson, Trustee for Wards 3 and 4, at the ground-breaking ceremony of  Panorama Middle School.