New high school in SRSD 5-year capital plan

Seine River School Division (SRSD) submitted its five-year capital plan request to the province that includes an Arborgate School expansion in La Broquerie and renovations at the Ste Anne complex as it prepares to build a new school down the road.

The biggest request from the division is a new high school in St Norbert. Students from École St Adolphe School, La Barriere Crossings School, École St. Norbert Immersion, and La Salle School graduate from Collège St Norbert Collegiate.

“That’s the next community that’s been identified as an area of need based on enrolment trends,” explained treasurer Karastin Michalycia at the last board meeting.

It is a dual track school, offering English and French immersion programs. How those programs would be split up between the old school and a potential new school has not been worked out.

The idea of building a high school in St Adolphe was brought up by Ward 2 (St Adolphe, Iles des Chenes and Lorette) trustee Christine Roskos, who pointed out that there is land dedicated in the new development for a new school.

“Not for a high school, though,” said Ward 3 (Ste Anne, Richer and La Broquerie) trustee Robert Rivard.

“If you’re talking in addition to a K to 8, well maybe we build a K to 12,” suggested Roskos.

Ward 1 (St Norbert, La Salle and Glenlea) trustee Gary Nelson did not think it would be viable to lose those St Norbert students.

“I think St Adolphe has the same problem La Salle has: there’s just not enough numbers. St Norbert is a small high school, and if you remove one of the peer communities you’ll end up with a very small high school – 125-135 students,” said Nelson at the meeting.

Superintendent Colin Campbell said the new school request was based on current school catchment areas, so changing those to build a high school in St Adolphe is an alternative that can be looked at.

The five-year capital plan passed by all trustees did include a request to add four more classrooms to Arborgate school in La Broquerie and renovations in Ste Anne.

“Again due to continued enrolment. We can only add so many portables, so looking at doing something more permanent,” explained treasurer Michalycia.

“And then also just notifying the province at this point that there are going to be renovations needed to the Ste Anne complex once that new school is built,” she added.

The rest of the capital requests were ones made in previous years but not yet approved, including work on the roof for Richer School.

“We’re hoping to hear this year about that project under the province’s emergency funding allocation,” said Michalycia, who described fixing the roof as desperately needed.

Extra cash for schools

SRSD got $270,000 more than expected for its budget from the province.

That money has been sent to principals who made requests for furnishing and some operations in their schools, according to the treasurer.

“We heard there were needs for a variety of items so we left it quite open to them using the template we’ve used in years past, but also giving them some flexibility to identify other things that they might need,” said Michalycia.

All 15 schools sent in requests to use some of that extra cash. The division is going over estimates and will give feedback to the principals.