Aspen View Public School Division is following steps to build a new school in hopes that in the near future, Edwin Parr Composite School (EPC) can be closed and a new high school opened at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex.
Aspen View’s capital plan lists Landing Trail Intermediate School (LTIS) and EPC renovations as their top two priorities.
“With the help of Alberta Education, their engineers and planning department, we identified that Landing Trail Intermediate would now be moved to the number-one need area,” school board superintendent Brian LeMessurier said. “LTIS was opened in January of 1967 and hasn’t had any major renovations, other than the front office retrofit.”
Edwin Parr was a school expanded on year after year, and hasn’t seen any renovations since 1968.
“Even the newest end is now becoming a very old school,” he said.
Aspen View has looked at the cost to renovate both schools, and the ability to add onto them in the future if need be.
LeMessurier said there is the possibility to add onto LTIS. However, LeMessurier said EPC would be pressed for space if they expanded horizontally, and the school isn’t set up for vertical expansion.
“We were looking at Landing Trail’s renovation being $12 to $14 million,” he said. “We looked at Edwin Parr’s being $14 to $16 million in last year’s dollars. Those prices just keep going higher and higher.”
Alberta Premier Allison Redford announced last year that 50 new schools would be built.
“The major contributor to pay for it would be the Alberta taxpayer,” LeMessurier said. “It comes out of the capital money the minister has talked about. Some of that will be borrowed by the province, some will be contributed in the present budget. It isn’t that we would be building it and taking money away from other communities. It will be new money injected into the region.”
However, Aspen View is currently looking for industry partners to assist with the cost of the school.
From the beginning of inquiring about a new school, Aspen View has always had their sights on the Athabasca Regional Multiplex.
“The advantage of building onto the Multiplex is connecting with the facility. It won’t cost as much to build the school because we can share facilities,” LeMessurier explained.
LeMessurier stated when the facility isn’t being used by the public, the school can utilize space.
“There would be a joint use agreement between the Multiplex and the school division where school space becomes community space as well,” he explained.
LeMessurier estimated it would be as little as four years, to as many as six or seven years before the school would be built.
“That is a guess,” he said.
Aspen View has commissioned Group 2 Architecture Interior Design LTD to prepare a conceptual design, which is required to move the plan forward.
LeMessurier said until the design is completed, they will not be seriously considered for a new school by the province.
The new school would be built on university land, according to LeMessurier.
LeMessurier not only wants to lease or buy land from the university, they want AU to become partners.
“We want to talk to them about how we can provide learning opportunities for our students that lead into transitions for students into employment in one of the most dynamic parts of the world,” he said.
Aspen View would move the Grade 7 students out of Landing Trail and into the new building.
It would be a school for Grades 7-12.
LeMessurier, however, wants to see seven-day-a-week learning if the new facility is built.
“We really hope to convince the library board to enter into this partnership with us,” he said. “The thought of a 21st century library/learning centre or research centre that would be shared by the community, the school, and Athabasca University is really exciting.”
LeMessurier would also like to see trades courses offered to adults on weekends.
LTIS would be renovated to suit the needs of students, and with the Grade 7 students being relocated, the division office would take their place.
Moving the division office into the school, the board would save money because they wouldn’t have to pay the costs they are now for their office.
Technical support and maintenance services would also move into LTIS.
LeMessurier said that Landing Trail is in a beautiful location, and they would like to keep the school open. It even has space to expand if the need arises.
LeMessurier is not concerned about the school impacting the soccer fields.
“Aspen View would take on as part of the project, replacing those grounds prior to us tearing it up.”
