Four aging portable classrooms in St. Albert Public Schools will be replaced with new modular units. This is due to a mid-year funding announcement from the Alberta government aimed at helping schools manage rising enrolment and outdated infrastructure.
The province is investing $50 million this fall to add 62 modular classrooms across Alberta.
“Alberta's government is moving quickly to build new schools and create more classroom spaces, so our students continue to have room to grow and thrive,” said Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides in a press release. “This additional funding for modular classrooms will help us get much-needed spaces to some of our busiest schools, while we work as quickly as possible to open the doors to more than 130 school projects underway in the province.”
St. Albert Public Schools will receive four new units, which will be placed at Wild Rose Elementary School.
“This is something that’s not typically done,” said Michael Brenneis, associate superintendent of finance and secretary-treasurer with the division. “Typically, they release modulars in the spring, and now they’ve done a mid-year announcement. So [they're] just recognizing the need across the province, and we’re very excited to be awarded four.”
Brenneis said the division has 110 portable and modular units. He explained that they are the same units; however, portables are typically older, and modulars are designed for long-term usage.
The new units at Wild Rose Elementary School will replace four existing units.
“They will come in, and then at least four will be disposed of as these [new] ones are placed in the jurisdiction,” said Brenneis. “You get the new one placed, students move into them and then you decommission the old ones so it's not as disruptive for the students, for their learning.”
Some of the modular classrooms within St. Albert Public Schools are over 40 years old. Brenneis said that some of the units at Wild Rose Elementary School are from 1977 and, despite being well-maintained, have outlived their lifespan.
The division is now working with its architect and preparing to submit an expenditure form to the province. Once approved, the project can go to tender. Brenneis explained that due to the short construction season left in the year, he is unsure if they will be able to start construction before winter.
“We typically deal with the spring announcements, which gives you a bit more time to mobilize given the short construction season we have in the province, but we'll move as quickly as we can,” he said. “I just don't know if foundation work can happen this fall before freeze up, or whether it'll be something that we have to hit hard early in the spring.”
Despite being unsure when students will be able to move into the new classrooms, Brenneis said he is grateful for the new modulars.
“We appreciate that they recognized the need and have done this mid-year announcement, because this is not typical, but extremely important,” said Brenneis.
