Alberta provides over $1 M for school building projects in province, Medicine Hat included

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Demetrios Nicolaides, Alberta’s minister of education, said the province continues to be committed to building and renovating schools, to keep up with increasing numbers of students and growing pressures on the education system.

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“We already have more than 130 school projects underway, and we are keeping our foot on the gas pedal,” he said in a statement Friday.

Nicolaides said the pre-planning funds are helping school boards create strong project ideas for potential schools in their communities.

The funds also help the school board engage with the local community and parents, to find the best school plan for their students.

The province said a major part of building or renovating a school is planning the design, location, classroom layout and more to ensure the school best serves the community.

School boards can use the information gathered in the pre-planning stage to submit a project proposal that is well-rounded and better prepared for consideration for funding by Alberta’s government.

While many projects that receive pre-planning money do eventually move to the next stage of the construction process, the province said not all projects that get pre-planning funding move forward.

Martin Long, Alberta’s minister of infrastructure, said thorough pre-planning helps determine whether a new school, modernization or replacement is required.

“We determine grade configuration, capacity needs and site conditions,” he said.

“Having this vital information will enable our government to accelerate projects once full funding is approved.”

Last fall, Alberta’s government announced the $8.6 billion School Construction Accelerator Program to speed up school construction and build more than 100 new and renovated schools over the next seven years.

School projects approved for funding by the province will move forward as part of the SCAP program.

Pre-planning funds are being provided to a mix of public, separate, francophone and charter school boards, supporting more choice for parents and students in Alberta’s education system.