Rocky View school board says $25M needed to fix overcrowding

Rocky View Schools says it needs new money from the province immediately to build more school space.

Colleen Munro, chair of the school board, says schools are already fulland students are being taught in whatever available space teachers can find.

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She says the growth seen in the communities where the schools are located has been incredible.

"The trends are just enormous," Munro said. "More than 10 per cent growth in Chestermere, more than 10 per cent growth in Airdrie, more than 10 per cent population growth in Cochrane our three urban areas."

East Lake School just opened this fall in Chestermere but already needs 16 new portables to meet demand.

According to the school's website, the kindergarten through Grade 8 school has 485 students.

Kimberly Hall says her Grade 7 daughter is in a home economics room instead of a regular classroom because there just isn't enough room.

Hall says she can't believe the brand new school is already overcrowded.

"I was shocked and surprised that we needed that many [portables]," she said.

In Airdrie, school administrators at Herons Crossing Elementary School which opened in 2012 and has about 370 students in kindergarten through Grade 4say they need two more portables as well as an addition to the school.

Munro says enrolment has increased by more than 1,100 students since last year and has asked the province for $25 million as soon as possible.

Alberta Education says it is reviewing the school board's request but doesn't know when it will have an answer.

The Wildrose Party released a statement Friday afternoon saying the overcrowding is caused by poor government planning and "their inability to keep their commitment to build new schools."