Following the Government of Alberta’s announcement regarding the Capital Accelerator Plan, the Grande Prairie Public School Division has announced its intention to work with the province and GPPSD administration to develop an updated capital plan in April.
The provincial accelerator program announced earlier this month will increase the K-12 capital budget to $8.6 billion over three years.
GPPSD officials say the announcement is a welcome one for the Peace Region, as student enrollment continues to climb, and Grande Prairie continues to hold its spot as one of the youngest cities in the province.
The public school division credits “out of province and international migration” with the current school year’s growth, and officials maintain they expect the trend to continue based on recent growth predictions for the region.
According to the GPPSD, the number of zero to 14-year-olds in the city is expected to grow by around 19 per cent, marking the highest growth rate in the province. As a result, GPPSD officials suggest the trend will continue, fuelling the need for additional classroom capacity.
Right now, GPPSD high schools are operating at around 92 per cent capacity during the 2024-25 school year; however, if trends continue, high schools could be operating at around 101 per cent capacity by the 2028-29 school year, and at around 103 per cent capacity by 2030.
In response, GPPSD Superintendent Sandy McDonald says the Board of Trustees has “reinforced” the space pressures on students in the division during their recent meetings with local MLAs and Provincial Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides.
“Our division appreciates the implementation of the province’s Capital Accelerator plan, as we have a number of capital needs driven by the consistent growth we’ve faced,” he says.
Additionally, GPPSD administration will soon meet with officials from Alberta Education to discuss adding permanent additions to Grande Prairie Composite and Charles Spencer High School to keep them top of mind when it comes to future funding announcements from the province.
