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Connaught School modernization is priority project for SD76

Mar 21, 2017 | 4:59 PM

 

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The province announced more details into the 26 schools that will benefit from the provincial budget on Tuesday.

Several new schools are being built in Calgary and Edmonton.

Money is also going towards replacing several schools and modernizing several others.

But only one school in Medicine Hat made the list.

Ecole Les Cypres, the city’s Francophone school, will see funding for a replacement project.

But some say that’s not the only project that needs to happen.

Not much has changed at Ecole Connaught School since the new addition was built in 1952.

“The original structure of our building that was built in 1912 is very solid and very unique structure,” said Deni Neigun, principal of Connaught School. “High ceilings, large windows and we actually just finished changing out some of our last blackboards to whiteboards.”

But Neigun said even adding those modern touches weren’t easy to do.

“Any time something needs to be changed in our building, it can be a little bit more of a challenge,” she said. “Because of the age of the building, just when they get into the walls to attach things, there’s exposed brick and wiring can be a bit of a challenge.”

“The core issue for Connaught School is it’s an older building,” said School District 76 superintendent Mark Davidson. “It’s an older building, well maintained. But none the less, it’s over 100 years old and any building of that age, it starts to require a level of support greater than just simple maintenance.”

The modernization Davidson was pushing for didn’t make the list of projects outlines in the 2017-18 provincial budget.

“I have great confidence in our staff in how well they maintain that building,” Davidson said. “The challenge, of course, is the age.”

“Accessibility is a real challenge in our building,” Neigun added. “You can’t really go anywhere without stairs.”

That’s not the only issue students have had to deal with.

There’s no ventilation system in the addition and air conditioning was only installed two years ago, which has only caused problems.

“We also currently don’t have enough bathrooms to really accommodate 510 students,” Neigun added.

Connaught did make the Alberta Government’s list of ‘unfunded capital projects’ which means there may be money down the road, but nothing is guaranteed.

“We know that it’s on their radar as a school that needs to be addressed and we’re convinced that they are seriously looking at it for when the time comes,” Davidson said.

The modernization is expected to cost roughly $10.8 million.

Davidson and board members of SD76 will be discussing their three-year capital plan Tuesday night.