Exploring future paths
To address low student utilization and increasing operational and maintenance costs at ageing division schools in the City of Fort Saskatchewan, Elk Island Catholic Schools has undertaken an in-depth evaluation of Our Lady of the Angels and St. John XXIII Catholic schools to consider potential solutions.
In February, a working group of EICS staff and various community stakeholders met for two days to evaluate criteria that potential solutions would be measured against and brainstorm options to help narrow the scope of what those solutions might look like.
Twelve options were identified during the value scoping phase, and now we're sharing the three most plausible options. The nine other options that were proposed and discussed are captured in the full Value Scoping Session Report.
All three options presented below offer a two-schools-for-one solution in which Our Lady of the Angels and St. John XXIII Catholic schools are combined into one new school on a new site or current school site.
With respect to provincial requirements to obtain funding for the planning, design, and build phases, this two-for-one solution is believed to be the most successful path forward to address ageing facilities and low student utilization rates at these two schools.
The Options
The list below highlights the three options that were identified in the value scoping sessions as being the most likely to successfully receive funding from the Alberta government. They are presented below in the order in which they were discussed.
The naming of each option ("Option 2a," for example) follows the same naming convention for how they are identified in the Value Scoping Report.
Each item listed below can be further expanded for details.
Replace Our Lady of the Angels and St. John XXIII Catholic schools with one new Kindergarten to Grade 4 school on a new site in Southfort Ridge-Meadows or Forest Ridge.
Estimated cost: $24 million.
Advantages
- Reduces funding pressure with only one capital request to address enrolment issues.
- Attracts families from newly developed neighbourhoods.
- Aligns with City's expansion plan with new neighbourhoods.
- Convenient for parents driving their children.
- Reduces disruption of students in existing schools.
- Ageing infrastructure is replaced.
- Site issues are addressed.
- School is placed in new area with younger families.
- Lower operating and utility costs.
- Addresses low utilization issue.
- Provides variety of instructional spaces.
- No grade reconfigurations required.
- Aligns with previous capital requests.
- Larger student numbers allow for more programming.
- Less operational costs by having one school instead of two.
Disadvantages
- Moving from mature neighbourhoods.
- Does not align with City's policy for mature neighbourhoods.
- Lack of community acceptance for closing schools in mature neighbourhoods.
Risks
- Only one new site is currently "shovel-ready" and the site may be assigned to Elk Island Public Schools.
Replace Our Lady of the Angels Catholic School and St. John XXIII Catholic School with one new Kindergarten to Grade 4 school built on the existing St. John XXIII site, adjacent to the current school. Once the new school is operational, the former school buildings would be demolished.
Estimated cost: $24.8 million.
Advantages
- Reduces funding pressure with only one capital request to address enrolment issues.
- Addresses low utilization issue.
- Provides variety of instructional spaces.
- No grade reconfigurations required.
- Aligns with City's policy for mature neighbourhoods.
- Ageing infrastructure is replaced.
- Site issues are addressed.
- Provides walkable communities in mature neighbourhoods.
- Lower operating and utility costs.
- Existing site provides site readiness.
- Aligns with previous capital requests.
- Infrastructure is already in place.
- Less operational costs by having one school instead of two.
Disadvantages
- Longer transportation time for students not living in the school neighbourhood.
- Does not align with City's expansion policy.
- Difficult to coordinate decanting of students.
- Additional land would need to be negotiated with the City prior to capital request.
- EICS will not have a school serving Grades K-8 in the newer residential developments for a long time.
Risks
- Additional land would be required to accommodate a larger school and address existing site issues.
- Smaller site may hinder future expansion.
Replace Our Lady of the Angels Catholic School and St. John XXIII Catholic School with one new Kindergarten to Grade 4 school built on the existing OLA school site, adjacent to the current school. Once the new school is operational, the former school buildings would be demolished.
Estimated cost: $23.4 million.
Advantages
- Reduces funding pressure with only one capital request to address enrolment issues.
- Addresses low utilization issue.
- Provides variety of instructional spaces.
- No grade reconfigurations required.
- Aligns with City's policy for mature neighbourhoods.
- Ageing infrastructure is replaced.
- Site issues are addressed.
- Provides walkable communities in mature neighbourhoods.
- Lower operating and utility costs.
- Existing site provides site readiness.
- Aligns with previous capital requests.
- Infrastructure is already in place.
Disadvantages
- Longer transportation time for students not living in the school neighbourhood.
- Does not align with City's expansion policy.
- Difficult to coordinate decanting of students.
- EICS will not have a school serving Grades K-8 in the newer residential developments for a long time.
Risks
- Smaller site may hinder future expansion.
Will there be a public information session?
It was held on Thursday, May 23, 2024.
You can review the proposed solutions that were discussed at the session above.
Please also see our Fort Saskatchewan Value Scoping Frequently Asked Questions.
Contact Us
If you would like to reach out with an inquiry related to this process, please send an email.