EPSB celebrates school division’s takeover of building that houses Edmonton’s Centre High Campus

A celebration was held by Edmonton Public Schools in downtown Edmonton on Thursday to mark a milestone moment for its Centre High Campus: the building the school is located in is now owned by the school division.

“Today is a day of celebration,” Trisha Estabrooks, the chair of the Edmonton Public Schools Board (EPSB), told reporters. “Centre High in the heart of our city. This is a great place for fourth- and fifth-year Edmonton public school students to come and get support and ultimately graduate.

“This has been a long time coming and we’re so grateful for the support of the provincial government to make today happen.”

The process of purchasing the Alberta College building from MacEwan University, which houses the Centre High Campus, began when EPSB trustees approved spending about $22 million from its capital reserve fund in order to complete the acquisition. In May, the deal was finalized when the provincial government approved the use of those funds.

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In 2019, the EPSB announced it had leased a portion of the Alberta College campus and planned to move the Centre High Campus there from its previous location in the Boardwalk building.

At that time, a little more than 2,500 students were registered to attend Centre High Campus. As of Thursday, the EPSB said more than 2,200 students were enrolled for the 2023-24 school year.

Estabrooks said the campus serves a vital role in allowing Edmontonians to upgrade their education or to achieve other goals.

“(It offers) a chance to get that high school graduation completion certificate, for example,” she said. “And really, having it in the heart of our city really speaks to some of the value that Centre High can offer.”

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In a news release, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides described Centre High Campus as an “exciting … space for students to complete their schooling and build the foundation they need to be successful now and into the future.”

–With a file from Global News’ Caley Gibson