Work on a $13-million modernization of St. Patrick’s Community School will begin this summer that will add more eight classrooms.
“We’re anticipating that we will start to see some work on site the beginning of the July, so after the school is out. And we expect it will be an 18-month construction period in several phases,” said Ken Jaeger, supervisor of support services with Red Deer Regional Catholic Schools, on Friday.
Built in 1981, it’s the first major renovation project for year-round school that has breaks about every six weeks instead of the usual two-month summer break.
Modernization will see eight aging classrooms demolished and the construction of 16 new classrooms. Upgrades will also be made to mechanical and electrical systems, along with some architectural renovations.
The pre-kindergarten to Grade 9 school has reached well over 100 per cent utilization.
“Our capacity is about 535 and we’re just under 700. We’re overfull now. What this will do is kind of right size it so students would have classroom spaces more suitable to learning. Right now they’re kind of crammed into some small spaces that were carved out over the years.”
He said the school will have break out spaces for large and smaller groups for a more flexible learning environment. The project is still in the design phase that should be complete in the next few weeks before beginning more detailed drawings.
He said the year-round school attracts students from outside its catchment area which means enrolment can be managed to address capacity to suit the size of the school once construction is complete.
Jaeger said the school will be open to students during modernization and over the next few months administration will be communicating with St. Patrick’s families in advance of construction.
In 2010 G.H. Dawe Community Centre and G.H. Dawe Elementary School, that are connected to St. Patrick’s, saw major work.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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