The Rocky View Schools (RVS) board of trustees extended the new Langdon School student accommodation consultation into the fall.
The new Langdon School was approved for construction in 2019, and in the spring, RVS began community engagement to determine the grade structure and the attendance area.
A decision was originally expected by June. However, RVS heard concerns and alternative suggestions from families and students, during a public meeting, and online.
“The board has said they want to make the best decision they can make based on the information they have. As administration, we want to recommend the very best solution,” Superintendent of Schools Greg Luterbach said.
“Given that we’ve heard some alternative ideas, we do believe it would be valuable to extend the consultation into the fall of 2023 and go back to the community for another in-person session before we make a recommendation to the board,” he added. “The school is not opening until the fall of 2024, we have a little bit of time, and it would be wise to use that time.”
RVS administration is reviewing suggestions and will bring back alternative solutions to the community for at least one more public meeting in the fall.
More than 100 individuals joined the public consultation, 300 individuals shared their opinion online, and RVS received six delegations during a previous board meeting.
“I was surprised and happy to see so much participation in our engagement, we want to do what’s best for all of our students and families,” Ward 1 Trustee Shali Baziuk said.
“As a community, we are very excited about the much-anticipated arrival of our Junior and Senior High School,” Ward 2 Trustee and Vice-Chair Shelley Kinley said. “The board has heard from stakeholders, and they want more options.”
Kinley explained that the public consultation process is vital to trustees and to the RVS community.
“There is such anxiety and concern about what will happen, and the sooner we can away any concerns, and let people know what the next steps are, the better,” Kinley said. “Although we are thrilled about the new school, how we populate it will create a domino effect in the community, and we want to make sure that everyone is aware of that and has the opportunity to participate in the conversation.”
