The Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division is moving ahead with building a new middle school and adjusting some school boundaries.
The construction of St. Lorenzo Ruiz Middle School, which was originally scheduled to begin in fall 2021, is now slated to begin in early next month.
In the meantime, stakeholder engagement sessions for parents and staff will be held since a reconfiguration of middle school boundaries will be needed to ensure all schools are operating at viable capacities and roughly the same utilization rate.
“Our middle schools are currently operating at over 120 per cent capacity and we expect continued growth. The addition of St. Lorenzo Ruiz Middle School will help to alleviate the pressures and overcrowding of the middle school population in 2023,” said board chair, Kim Pasula.
Administration made minor adjustments and presented two options to the district’s Board of Trustees on Jan. 25.
Pasula said, “We look forward to the upcoming stakeholder engagement sessions where we expect to gain constructive and meaningful feedback from our parent and staff community.”
Parents and staff from the following schools are invited the virtual sessions on the following dates:
- Feb. 8 - Father Henri Voisin School, St. Elizabeth Seton School, and current Grade 6 and 7 families from St. Francis of Assisi School.
- Feb. 10 - St. Teresa of Avila School, Holy Family School, and current Grade 6 and 7 families from St. Thomas Aquinas School.
Details about how to pre-register will be sent out at a later date. An electronic feedback form will also be available.
Input from these sessions will be presented, along with a recommendation, to the Board of Trustees at the March board meeting.
New middle school boundaries for St. Lorenzo Ruiz Middle School, will take effect in September 2023.