A public library branch will not be part of the new elementary school in Inglewood.
Instead the planned school at 99 Irving Crescent will feature a flexible community space such as a gym, conference room or a community kitchen.
Council allocated $600,000 in capital funding to go toward a new library in the planned southeast school.
At the time, council anticipated a similar agreement to the one that it has with the Red Deer Public Library and Red Deer Public School Division for Ecole Barrie Wilson Elementary School would be developed.
However the library board voted against adding a public library at the school in December and reaffirmed its position earlier this month.
Coun. Lawrence Lee, who is the council liaison on the board, told council it was not an easy decision for the board. He said the timing and location were certainly determining factors in its decision. The library in Ecole Barrie Wilson Elementary School opened in September.
On Monday council signed a new Inglewood School Partnership Commitment agreement with the Red Deer Public School District.
The $600,000 will be used for community space within the school.
Red Deer Public School Board of trustees chairperson Bev Manning said the board was disappointed that the library did not come on board. She said the door is open to allow them to come on board down the road.
The design of the library space in the school is innovative and flexible and could easily accommodate a public library in the future.
The space will now be used for different community options.
“We envision a larger community kitchen of some kind,” said Manning. “We envision to have open spaces for people to come in to use community programming. The community has great imagination so the options are endless.”
Red Deer Schools is actively seeking partnerships that would provide programming through flexible community/school space.
The preliminary designs have community space incorporated into a flexible space model, allowing public access to such amenities as the gym, meeting rooms, kitchen, outdoor classrooms, learning resource and multipurpose are incorporated into the plan.
Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2015 with plans to open two years later at 99 Irving Crescent in Inglewood.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com