By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

New middle school tops Red Deer Public wish list

Mar 14, 2018 | 3:46 PM

Red Deer Public Schools has their sights set on a new middle school.

To be located in the city’s northeast, east of Barrie Wilson Elementary, the grade 6-8 facility would house 600 students. It is the top item on the division’s updated capital priorities list.

“We’re feeling the pinch at the middle school level,” Board Chair Bev Manning said following Wednesday’s board’s meeting.

“We just have to work and make sure the government is aware,” Manning said referring to the division’s new three-year capital plan. “This goes into the government and they have all the capital plans on file so they know what our needs are.”

The plan also includes requests for modernization projects at Gateway Christian, Eastview Middle and Fairview Elementary, as well as a new high school in the long-term.
 

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— Education Plan

The district has also updated its three-year education plan, which runs on the three principles of literacy and numeracy, equity, and student success and completion.

With respect to numeracy, the district will be implementing measures to improve teachers’ abilities to instruct mathematics.

“We believe that students can become great mathematicians, and that’s part of our goal is to change the mindset of kids in saying ‘I can’t do math’ to ‘I can do math,’” said Manning.

In the area of equity, RDPS will be implementing its ‘Valuing Mental Health’ plan, which will include classes for K-5 students so all are speaking the same language when it comes to mental health. The STEP UP program will also be enhanced.
 

— Classroom Improvement Fund

As rdnewsNOW recently reported, school divisions across Alberta were given a share of $75 million last summer as part of the latest contract between teachers and the province.

Red Deer Public recently finalized a report on how its share of more than $1.265 million was spent.

About 34 per cent went to learning resources, four per cent to professional development, and the other 62 per cent to hiring new staff (2 new teachers and 5 EAs).

Manning, who said before that the Government of Alberta could’ve done much better, doubled down on her sentiments.

“The Classroom Improvement Fund was money from the government that bought the contract with the teachers,” she said. “Was it used wisely in our district? Absolutely, but what we really want is an increase to the per-pupil funding to give us the ability to do that which we have been elected to do, and that is address our local needs.”

Speaking of the per-pupil funding, the division is awaiting the March 22 provincial budget which is where any increases would be announced.

If there is a zero per cent increase, the division’s deficit would sit around $700,000 for the coming year. Last year, it was over $1.3 million, thanks in large part to the province’s decision to scrap transportation fees — an area the division is still struggling with.

As far as scrapping that deficit, Manning said anything is possible, but only at the expense of the classroom.

‘That really is our only way of saving significant dollars is by reducing our teaching cohort, and we don’t want to do that,” she said. “If the government continues to not provide us with sufficient per-pupil funding, the responsibility will lie with the government.”

“We don’t have much wiggle room,” she concluded.