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Wolf Creek Public Schools to provide options in Blackfalds, Lacombe review

Families and school staff can provide feedback on new grade configuration and attendance boundary options for Lacombe and Blackfalds schools later this month.
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Wolf Creek Public Schools superintendent Tim De Ruyck says a new high school in Blackfalds will bring some changes, ‘but the division is excited about the opportunities’ it will provide. (Contributed photo)

Families and school staff can provide feedback on new grade configuration and attendance boundary options for Lacombe and Blackfalds schools later this month.

The Wolf Creek Public Schools’ Blackfalds/Lacombe Boundary and Grade Configuration Review is in Phase 2 of its engagement process, and alternatives will be presented to the public at two open houses, as well as online.

The open houses will be held at Blackfalds’ Iron Ridge Junior Campus from 5-7:30 p.m. on May 17 and Lacombe Composite High School from 5-7:30 p.m. on May 18.

A survey will be available at the open houses and online from May 17-30.

The review is being done as WCPS prepares for a new high school to be built next to Iron Ridge Junior Campus in Blackfalds, with doors opening in 2024.

“Students from Blackfalds and area currently attend high school in Lacombe,” said Tim De Ruyck, WCPS superintendent.

“A new school will bring some new changes, but the division is excited about the opportunities the new school will provide, this includes assessing the current attendance boundaries and the grade configurations of all schools in Blackfalds and Lacombe.”

During the first phase of the public engagement in February, the public had the opportunity to fill out an online survey and review materials online. More than 1,300 people visited the online engagement site to learn about the project, with 297 being engaged participants.

The feedback was used in combination with enrolment projections and operational realities, such as transportation costs, to inform the attendance boundary and grade configuration options being presented to the public this month.

There are two attendance boundary options and four grade configuration options that will be presented, but there are some things that will not change.

Currently, only Blackfalds schools are part of the grade configuration options, but both are included in the attendance boundary options. French Immersion students in the Blackfalds and Lacombe attendance boundaries will still attend their designated school in Lacombe.

Additionally, Clive families were consulted in Phase 1 of the engagement process to gauge their interest in attending Blackfalds for high school, if they resided closer to that community. They currently attend Lacombe Composite High School for high school and responses indicated there is a desire for that to continue.

Following Phase 2, public feedback will be used to determine a preferred option. That preferred option will then be shared with the community in the fall for additional feedback.

The board of trustees will make the final decision on any boundary and grade configuration changes. Changes would not go into effect until 2024 when the new Blackfalds high school opens.

More information, as well as the online survey, will be shared at: letsconnect.wolfcreek.ab.ca/blackfalds-lacombe-grade-configuration-and-boundary-review.



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