The Rocky View Schools (RVS) Board of Trustees celebrated the breaking ground at the future Langdon junior and senior high school site on June 21.
The Minister of Infrastructure Prasad Panda, Chestermere-Strathmore MLA Leela Aheer, Rocky View County Mayor Don Kochan, Warren Drunkenchief of Siksika Nation, Janice Randhile of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and other dignitaries, project partners and guests joined the trustees.
“It is a proud and exciting day for the Board of Trustees to celebrate the beginning of construction for this new school,” Board Chair Fiona Gilbert said. “As a rapidly growing school division, the need for more space for students is critical. Once built, this school will welcome hundreds of students in the surrounding community and give them much-needed space to learn and succeed.”
The new school is one of five high schools being constructed through a public-private partnership (P3), an RVS media release said.
“The Alberta government’s P3 schools project is injecting millions of dollars into local communities and supporting about 1,700 construction-related jobs,” Minister of Infrastructure Prasad Panda said. “Many of these jobs and resulting economic spin-off benefitting businesses will take place right here in Langdon. Ultimately, thousands of students in Langdon and around the province will have the state-of-the-art new school facility they need to learn and succeed.”
More than 1,000 students will benefit from the new school, as Langdon high school students currently attend the Chestermere High School.
The school will have a main level with three wings, a CTS and arts wing with space for cosmetology, fabrication, automotive, drama, dance, band and multi-media spaces, an academic wing with classrooms and breakout studios, and a gym and fitness wing.
The central area of the school will be designed as a student hub and learning commons, with offices and gathering spaces. An upper level will have more classrooms and a smaller student hub.
The new school will allow Langdon students to learn in their own community, while also easing space pressures in the Chestermere school, the release said.
“It’s important to RVS that school facilities meet the unique needs of the communities they serve and offer inclusive environments where all our students can accomplish their goals,” Superintendent of Schools Greg Luterbach said. “We look forward to generations of students having access to world-class learning opportunities in this bright new innovative school.”
Perimeter fencing, gates, and signage to the site were installed in May, and the building footprint has been staked out.
The school is expected to open in September 2024.
