Building & Modernizing Schools
Overview
With the tremendous increase in Calgary's population in the last five years and many families deciding to live in new suburban communities, our need for new schools has never been greater. We also need to revitalize our existing schools, many of which are more than 40 years old, to meet the learning needs of 21st century students.
Major Capital Project Requests
The first step in building or modernizing schools is to request and receive funding for the work. Funding for major capital projects is solely granted by the Alberta Government.
Annually, the CBE uses Board approved criteria for school capital planning to evaluate and prioritize these projects. The criteria assess building condition, community renewal, efficiency solutions, enrolment pressures, functionality and programming, health and safety and legal requirements. The result of this process forms the basis for the annual Three-Year School Capital Plan.
The purpose of the Three-Year Capital Plan is to assess and document CBE’s major capital construction needs and prioritize the proposed projects. The plan is vetted through the CBE’s Board of Trustees and subsequently submitted to Alberta Education. Alberta Education then evaluates CBE’s projects against the project requests from every other Alberta school jurisdiction to determine which projects receive funding approval.
In Alberta, major capital projects move through three main stages: Planning, Design and Construction. While this is the typical process, some projects may skip stages or move ahead more quickly based on factors like site readiness.
In 2024, the province introduced the School Construction Accelerator Program to fast-track the building and modernization of schools. This program allows approved projects to move forward without having to wait for the next provincial budget cycle
Construction Projects Status Report
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Questions & Answers: New Schools
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New School Projects
Each year, Alberta Education reviews CBE's Three-Year School Capital Plan and decides which projects to fund and at what stage. The CBE works closely with Alberta Infrastructure, The City of Calgary and the development industry throughout the school building process.
Once construction begins, we share regular updates through the Construction Projects Status Report. As a new school nears completion, families impacted by the opening will start receiving more detailed information. All updates are posted on our website and individual project pages.
On average it takes 3-4 years to delivery elementary and middle schools and 4-5 years to deliver a high school.
Below is a list of new school projects:
Existing School Projects
Capital investment into existing schools can take many different forms (project types) as follows:
Below is a list of approved existing school projects:
Project Name | Quadrant | Grade Configuration | Level of Approval | Year Approved |
John G. Diefenbaker | NW | High | Modernization | 2023 |
Annie Gale | NE | Middle | Design | 2024 |
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