Students and staff from the St. Thomas More Catholic School are “officially without a building” according to the Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools.
The school division cited costs related to removing asbestos and increased project scope as the reasons they will be putting the project on hold indefinitely. According to a joint release from the catholic school division and the Peace River School Division, this decision has expedited the need for a new school Fairview.
The joint statement reads, “While Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools, Peace River School Division and Northwestern Polytechnic are working towards creating a plan for the construction of new schools in Fairview, the reality remains that a new building is at least five years away from being completed.”
Since school started in September, St. Thomas More students and staff have been using the Northwester Polytechnic campus as a temporary home, however with the work on the school being put on hold indefinitely a “more long-term solution” is needed.
Peace River School Division has reportedly expressed that they would be able to help meet the need for classroom space on a more long-term basis. The Board of Trustees from both school divisions are scheduled to meet during their annual joint board meeting in the new year.