The Ministry of Education is providing $4.5 million to support school renewal projects in Moose Jaw and Kyle, Sask., although it’s currently unknown how much money The Friendly City will receive.
As part of its Budget 2022-23, the provincial government created a minor capital renewal program to help school divisions address smaller projects. These projects involve structural repairs, renovations and additions to prolong the life of schools.
The program will target projects that range in cost from $1 million to $10 million.
The money that the ministry is allocating to Holy Trinity Catholic School Division — the details are still being worked out — will support École St. Margaret School on Fifth Avenue Northeast.
The single-track French immersion school serves 187 students from kindergarten to Grade 8 and was constructed in 1956. About 60 per cent of the school is being used and needs major structural repairs, particularly to its six portables and the exterior of the main building.
Trustees have consistently submitted this project since 2016 to the ministry as a major capital project because replacing the portables and exterior work is expected to cost $5.1 million. The portables’ rooftop heating/cooling units need to be replaced, while area drainage needs to be addressed.
Until now, the ministry has regularly denied funding for this project.
“We’re really excited that the government created this new project because … it didn’t qualify for the major capital and we didn’t have enough money through our (preventative maintenance and renewal) funds, so this new minor capital really addresses a need for school divisions that need a spot in between,” said education director Ward Strueby.
The division has submitted St. Margaret as one of its top major capital projects for several years, so receiving some funding to return the school to an acceptable level is “really, really encouraging,” he remarked.
The funding will support structural repairs to the school, including downsizing the existing school infrastructure to lower operating costs and prolong the life of the building, he continued. Furthermore, the division wants to enhance classrooms and incorporate modern French immersion learning areas like collaboration spaces or commons areas.
The downsizing — or “right-sizing” — of the building is necessary since only 60 per cent of it is being used, so the ministry and Holy Trinity will determine whether it’s better to repair or replace the portables and develop a plan to address that issue, said Strueby.
Another major benefit to the division in receiving this money is it can redirect its existing preventative maintenance and renewal (PMR) funding to support renovations at other schools.
“But at the end of the day, we want to create a quality French immersion school … (where the upgrades) will breathe new fresh air into that building for years to come,” Strueby added.
Giving the building a facelift and creating more modern learning areas will enhance the French immersion program by motivating students to do better, he pointed out. These students have been waiting for upgrades for years and are finally receiving them.
Asked if the division was disappointed not to receive funding under the major capital project, Strueby replied that the minor program is “the right-size fit” for Holy Trinity. He noted that the division received $595,000 in PMR funding in this year’s provincial budget, which is $50,000 more than last year. However, that funding cannot meet all the demands at St. Margaret School.
The division is excited that students and the community will benefit from these upgrades since all Catholic buildings are used after hours by groups, Strueby added, so this news is great for the community overall.
