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Public input about future use of mature schools

Wed, 2 Mar, 2016

News item: District seeks public input about future use of mature schools
Edmonton Public Schools will hold public consultation meetings to talk about re-envisioning the use of space in mature schools in some of the city’s older neighbourhoods. 
 
Three meetings will take place between March 10 – 15 in the communities of Westlawn, Britannia and Rosslyn. These three communities were chosen because they have some of the District’s oldest infrastructure and most under-utilized schools.
“We want to create equity, where students in our mature neighbourhoods have access to the same modern, high-quality learning environments that their peers across the city have,” says Chris Wright, Managing Director of Infrastructure for Edmonton Public Schools. “And modern classrooms also ensure our staff have access to excellent learning and teaching environments - regardless of where they work in our District.” 
 
With public input, Edmonton Public Schools will explore options which could include moving numerous aging schools into a new or renovated site in each of the three aforementioned communities. But there are no pre-conceived outcomes.
“These are blue sky, ‘what if’ conversations,” says Wright. “We sincerely value what the community thinks and has to say. We genuinely want to work with them.” 
 
“We’re asking the public to re-envision their mature school communities. What impact would a modernized or new replacement school have? What programming would they want to see? Would moving older schools into a new or renovated site better meet their unique community and student needs?”
 
Wright noted no budget has been allocated and no government funds have been either requested or promised at this point.
 
The District will return to the communities several times, continually seeking feedback.  More public meetings will be held in May.  Wright noted any recommendations or plans sent to the province take time to carry out.
 
Learn more at spaceforstudents.epsb.ca