The Red Deer Public School District plans to put the former North School up for sale.
But the school district will hold on to the historic North Cottage School.
The North Cottage School and the North School share a site in Riverside Meadows but are two separate buildings.
Currently leased to Koinonia Christian School, the North School site at 6014 57th Ave. will be put up for sale by public tender. At the recent Red Deer Public School District board meeting, the board agreed to sell the site as they have no future need for the facility.
“Oriole Park School is right up the hill, Fairview School is right down the street so really, when you take in to account the future needs of the district’s accommodation, it just doesn’t fit in to the picture,” said board chair Bev Manning.
The Koinonia Christian School has leased the site for the last 20 years. The school was built in 1950 by the public district but it has not used it for years.
Manning said the school district has kept Koinonia informed of the plans for the sale. In the past, school principal Vern Rand told the Advocate there was interest in Koinonia buying the school.
It will be sold by public tender.
The board decided to subdivide the property so they can retain the North Cottage School site. That building, built in 1911, will continue to provide alternative high school programming.
The board will have to apply to the city to subdivide the property, and that process is already underway.
The provincial Education minister will also have to approve the plan. The board has to work with Alberta Education and any sale has to be approved by the ministry. Any funds generated from the sale will go towards the district’s capital projects.
“We have the process in order,” said Manning. “One of the main things we wanted to make sure of was that we retained North Cottage. It’s been a long-standing historical place for the City of Red Deer and our school district and we appreciate its significance.”
l In other board news, the new budget was approved for the 2015-16 school year totaling $114.9 million. The school district anticipates a surplus of $108,645. The budget was updated when the newly-elected NDP government eliminated funding cuts imposed by the previous Conservative government.
mcrawford@www.reddeeradvocate.com