White City/Emerald Park area could get new high school

The Prairie Valley School Division is looking to put a new high school in the White City/Emerald Park area.

The division’s board of education announced in a news release Monday that it would be placing the construction of a new high school at the top of its annual list of major capital projects.

“We’ve done the research, and we know the best option for this region is a new high school,” board chair Janet Kotylak said in the release.

“This is the only Saskatchewan community with a population over 5,000 that doesn’t have a high school, and with the area projected to continue growing, the need is clear.”

The board listed the modernization of Balgonie’s Greenall High School and the consolidation of Grenfell School as its second and third major capital priorities, respectively.

“Last year, the modernization of Greenall High School was one of the Ministry of Education’s top 10 major capital priorities, so we know the government agrees that significant work is required to ensure this school can continue to serve the community,” Kotylak said.

“Consolidating Prekindergarten to Grade 12 at the existing Grenfell Elementary School is also a critical project that addresses aging rural education infrastructure.”

Each school division annually submits its top three major capital funding priorities to the Ministry of Education, which then decides which projects will receive funding.

As for minor capital projects, the release said the Prairie Valley board is planning to follow through with renovations to Indian Head Elementary School and updating Robert Southey School, a project that would include a new gym for the school.

The minor capital requests also will be submitted to the the Ministry of Education for consideration.