Zwozdesky releases “Schools for Tomorrow” Recommendations
Recent stakeholder input completes 5-year plan for school infrastructure
Edmonton … Education Minister Gene Zwozdesky today released his 5-year comprehensive plan, titled “ Schools for Tomorrow”. He also announced details regarding an additional $77 million in second quarter unanticipated surplus funding toward four previously announced school projects.
The comprehensive “Schools for Tomorrow” 5-year plan includes recommendations for three key priority areas: new schools (in response to community needs); major modernizations or preservation of existing schools; and steel-framed modular classrooms. The plan also recommends thinking outside the box, and looking at funding solutions as diverse as block funding to school boards, more flexibility for school board borrowing, and deriving revenues from vacant school reserve land.
“Education is the single greatest gift one generation can give to the next,” said Zwozdesky. “In reviewing the recommendations in my “Schools for Tomorrow” 5-year plan, the Government of Alberta and Alberta 's school boards will need to work together very strategically to ensure Alberta has adequate student spaces for the future. Alberta 's K-12 school facilities infrastructure will require significant additional dollars to accommodate growing needs in our education system. I'm pleased to be able to deliver this plan as requested by Premier Klein several months ago.”
The plan is driven by a number of guiding principles including: healthy, safe and secure learning environments; student spaces in the right places; facilitating community-based, long-term infrastructure solutions; and the role of school facilities to enhance comprehensive program delivery.
The guiding principles are behind the decision to provide $77 million toward two previously approved school projects in Fort McMurray and two in Cold Lake. Fort McMurray public and separate school boards were awarded $1 million each in August for design and planning of a junior high school and high school respectively, as part of the government's $303.3 million announcement for new school projects. Cold Lake projects include a replacement high school for the Northern Lights School Division and the renovation and expansion of Lakeland Roman Catholic Separate School Division's Assumption Junior-Senior High School. Once the planning and design for all of the projects are completed, distribution of the $77 million will be completed.
“Accountability and value for money are also key guiding principles of the “ Schools for Tomorrow” plan,” added Zwozdesky. “During this time of rapidly escalating project costs, we must work with school jurisdictions and other stakeholders to ensure diligent decision making. We must also address school infrastructure capital needs very thoroughly and aggressively on an annual basis.”
Equally important to the plan will be government's commitment to considering new approaches and methods of addressing school infrastructure needs.
“This is a comprehensive long-range plan,” stated Zwozdesky. “I looked at distinct infrastructure challenges such as enrolment trends, community growth, changing technology requirements, aging infrastructure, and so on. I also outlined cost-saving infrastructure solutions like shared facilities and the core school model.”
“I expect this to be a working document. In Alberta , we have a dynamic student population with unprecedented growth in some areas, and declines and shifts in others. We will continue to work toward addressing diverse infrastructure issues, like we did with the additional $119 million for Infrastructure Maintenance and Renewal (IMR) funding announced earlier this year. I believe this plan is the steering wheel that will drive us toward important improvements for teaching and learning spaces in our provinces.”
The government will also maintain its two-way communication with schools jurisdictions to ensure board priorities continue to align with what Boards recently supplied to the Minister at his November 4 meeting with Board chairs and Superintendents. Information collected at that meeting is also reflected in the plan.
“We recognize that jurisdictions' priorities may change over the life of the plan. I appreciate the recent input we received from Alberta 's board chairs and superintendents, which culminated in the completion of ‘ Schools for Tomorrow' ,” said Zwozdesky.
Government investment in school infrastructure will total nearly $1.4 billion over the next three years, including $578 million for the 2006/07 fiscal year. This includes $200 million for Infrastructure Maintenance and Renewal (IMR) funding and $378 million for facilities infrastructure. In addition, government will invest $404 million in the 2006/07 fiscal year for Plant Operations and Maintenance funding.
A copy of the Schools for Tomorrow plan can be viewed at www.education.gov.ab.ca/schoolsfortomorrow/strategiccapitalplan.pdf.
For more information please see attached excerpts from the School for Tomorrow report.
