Some families living in north-central Calgary said they’re tired of waiting for a new high school to be built.
Close to 100 people attended a rally on Sunday afternoon to express their frustrations with the Calgary Board of Education and the provincial government for the long delay in getting a high school built in the community of the Northern Hills.
Harvest Hills, Country Hills, Country Hills Village, Coventry Hills, Panorama Hills and Hidden Valley are all part of the Northern Hills area, the community association that organized the rally.
READ MORE: North Calgary residents hold rally to demand new high school
Parents said it doesn’t make sense that they don’t have a high school, given the north-central area of Calgary has a population of over 100,000 people.
“My kids were four and seven when I started a campaign for north high school,” said David Hartwick, vice-president of the Northern Hills Community Association.
“My daughter graduates high school this year. She’s actually graduating from Notre Dame High School. She went to Crescent Heights for Grade 10 and that had such an impact on her that she decided she needed something that was closer to home and had the opportunity to switch school systems,” he said.
CBE trustee Althea Adams admits it has been a long process but said the northern school has moved up to number three in the priority list in the 2019 capital budget, up from eighth place.
“I think number three is great. It puts us in a good position. I think this spring we will see some announcements that may this move up the plan a little more. It would be fantastic And it is needed. As you can see (by the crowd) there’s a huge community behind this so I’m very very hopeful,” Adams said at the rally.
The councillor representing the Northern Hills said the city should have more clout when it comes to getting schools built where they are needed.
“There is a bit of that blame game but it also has to do with the municipality having absolutely no jurisdiction to say we should have a school in this community as soon as it’s built. If we have the ability to do that and if we can if we could somehow get the private sector to partner with the government we could build those schools right away,” said Ward 3 councillor Jyoti Gondek who attended the rally.
Her daughter is in grade 8 and Gondek said she is facing the same situation many other families are.
“There’s not much hope of her going to high school in our community in her lifetime but I do hope that other parents will have a better experience,” Gondek said.
The rally was held on the vacant high school site located across from Nose Creek Middle School, between 12027 and 12069 Coventry Hills Way N.E.
CBE trustees will vote on the three year capital plan at this Tuesday’s meeting.
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