Airdrie schools struggling to keep up with student growth

Communities outside Calgary experiencing a boom in growth are taking unusual measures to make sure their children get to school, and Canada’s fastest growing city is no exception.

Airdrie, Alberta has outgrown every one of its public schools and is now facing an education crisis.

All ten schools in the city are considered at capacity after the student population jumped 50% in the past 5 years.

“We went from 11,000 to 16,500 [students] and it’s not going to stop” says Don Thomas, a Rocky View School Trustee.

Some schools have had to resort to holding classes in hallways and libraries.

Donna Pearce, Chair Council of School’s Council says everyone knew the over capacity problems were coming, but the Province has dragged its feet on approving new schools.

“The schools we are requesting we have been requesting for years. We are in a crisis situation right here that could have been alleviated years ago. I don’t think we are asking for anything that they aren’t obligated to provide”.

The Province has told the district no new schools will be approved for two years and it will take another four years on top of that to build the schools based on the P3 model; time to add another 1400 students to the area with no place to go.

Trustees say they’re so desperate, there was a suggestion to bus students to Calgary and lease closed down inner city schools.

Many parents aren’t happy with the idea, but trustees say if the Province continues to ignore their pleas, something will have to be done.

“Our teachers, our administration have made yeoman service, but we are getting to a point where if we don’t see some accommodation, I’m not sure that we continue to expect that kind of stuff can be done for our kids and selling them short is unforgiveable” says Thomas.

Parent council members are hosting an information event at Airdrie City Hall Thursday evening to press the government to do something about the crisis.

Deputy Premier Rob Horner is among a handful of cabinet ministers who say they will attend the meeting.