A May Update from the Calgary Catholic School District, Board of Trustees

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Calgary Catholic School District, Board of Trustees

cssd.ab.ca/board-column | [email protected]

Learn more about your Calgary Catholic School District Board of Trustees!

Capital Planning

One of the most important roles of Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) trustees is to advocate for infrastructure. Ensuring that students have inspiring learning spaces as close to home as possible, is paramount. Calgary Catholic is unique in several ways. We are the largest Catholic school jurisdiction in Alberta, with over 56,000 students. We are also unique in that CCSD is home to four urban and metro municipalities in Alberta – Calgary, Chestermere, Cochrane, and Airdrie.

Despite provincial fiscal challenges, CCSD continues to grow. As such, forward-thinking capital planning is crucial. Every spring, Alberta’s school districts design and submit a Three-Year Capital Plan to the province. These plans strategically look at where the most urgent needs for new student learning spaces are, as well as which existing schools are in need of modernizations. These projects are ranked based upon this prioritization.

The province is then tasked with supporting these infrastructure needs to the greatest extent possible. CCSD is very pleased to have been awarded our number one priority from our 2021-2024 Capital Plan – a modernization and expansion of St. Martin de Porres High School in Airdrie. St. Martin des Porres High School currently sits at 106 percent utilization and is the only Catholic high school in Airdrie. This project, worth $40 million, is very welcome.

At our March 24 regular board meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the 2022-2025 Capital Plan. Year one priorities include: K-9 school in Legacy, K-6 school in Redstone, K-9 school in Nolan Hill, K-9 school in Walden, a west end high school and modernizations to St. Bonaventure School and St. Teresa of Calcutta School. The total cost of these projects is $161 million.

With faith, hope, and love, we look forward to, as a board, continuing to engage our provincial partners in advocacy on behalf of the students and their families whom we are committed to serving.