Alberta’s government is speeding up the construction of 11 previously announced school projects, including a new kindergarten to Grade 8 school in the northeast area of the City of Wetaskiwin.
On May 21, the province announced the new Wetaskiwin build was one of 11 school projects that were being fast-tracked.
The provincial government uses a staged school project funding approach that includes pre-planning, planning, design and construction approvals.
The new school build in Wetaskiwin's northeast is now being accelerated from the planning stage into the design stage.
In 2024, the provincial government allotted funding in its budget for Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools (WRPS) to plan a new school that would replace the existing Norwood School.
In a release at the time, WRPS expressed appreciation for the funding necessary to plan for a "vibrant and modern school facility which will provide a wide variety of educational opportunities" for students.
WRPS identified the new K-8 school as its number one capital project priority in its 2025-28 three year capital plan.
There are five existing K-8 schools in Wetaskiwin, and according to WRPS, all of them are currently underutilized with future enrollment projected to further decline.
The new school is to accommodate 420 students that would replace Centennial, Norwood and Parkdale schools.
The total estimated cost of the new school is $21,051,520, with a proposed completion date of Aug. 31, 2027.
WRPS's other top priorities in the three-year plan include a new K-14 school for Ward 4 Alder Flats, Buck Mountain Central and Winfield), the modernization of Pigeon Lake Regional School,Clear Vista School sprinkler system replacement and the modernization of CTS spaces at Wetaskiwin Composite High School.
Other school projects selected by the province range from schools in Grande Prairie to Coalhurst.
When complete, the 11 projects are expected to create more than 8,000 new and updated student spaces.
Last fall, the province announced an $8.6 billion plan to speed-up school construction and build and renovate more than 100 schools. Since then, a total of 33 previously announced school projects have been approved to move forward to the next stage of the construction process.
There are now 132 active school projects in communities across Alberta.
“We are building more schools at a faster rate, never before seen in Alberta," said Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides in a press release.
"Through this innovative approach to building more schools now ... we will ensure every student in Alberta has the space to engage in the province’s world-class education system.”
