Rocky View Schools (RVS) is embarking on a city-wide public engagement to gather input on how to best balance student enrolment across the rapidly growing community.
“As Airdrie’s population expands, enrolment in local schools grows along with it,” said Board of Trustees Chair, Fiona Gilbert. “Right now, most Airdrie schools are near-to-over full, with 14 elementary and middle schools feeding into three full high schools. The goal of this community engagement is to hear from families, staff and other stakeholders to help inform the Board of Trustees’ decision on a solution to best serve all Airdrie students.”
RVS has gone to great lengths to intensify existing space and has advocated strongly to the government for many years to provide full construction funding and modular classroom spaces to meet students’ needs. Due to government funding not keeping pace with our growth and the three years it takes to build a school, the earliest possible opening is 2026 or 2027 for a new elementary school and 2028 for a new high school. While the potential of new schools will be welcomed additions, ongoing enrolment growth will continue to create space challenges in many schools even after they open.
To explore viable solutions, an RVS staff working group conducted a thorough review of the situation and what changes could be made to better balance student enrolment across Airdrie. Potential solutions being considered include converting one middle school into a high school; moving Grade 9 to middle schools; or reorganizing the grade structure across Airdrie. Each possibility could have a range of impacts including prospective boundary changes/new designated schools for students, families and staff.
RVS aims to gather input and ideas from as many stakeholders as possible through a public engagement that will run most of this school year.
“Many of our families and staff have shared their concerns with us on space challenges. Balancing Airdrie Student Spaces will provide an accessible, transparent and structured opportunity to collect that feedback as an important part of the Board’s decision-making process,” said Superintendent of Schools, Greg Luterbach. “We encourage the Airdrie community to be part of this engagement and help to provide the Board with as much information as possible.”
Community engagement will be open from fall 2023 to April 2024 and will consist of two phases: an information sharing phase this fall to provide stakeholders with information, resources and an opportunity to ask questions, and a feedback phase early in the 2024 which will offer options for feedback collection, information gathering and discussions, both in-person and online. All information about the engagement will be available on RVSEngage.com. The Board aims to make a decision at its April 25, 2024, public meeting that would take effect at the start of the 2025/26 school year, providing some time for families and staff to transition. Given the current overutilization of some schools, changes may need to be implemented as early as the 2024/25 school year for specific schools.
RVSEngage.com will serve as the main resource for timely information and online feedback opportunities. More information about Space for Students, including an Airdrie Infographic, is available on the RVS website.
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