Two new schools are coming to Regina’s southwest to serve families in Harbour Landing and Albert Park.
Saskatchewan Party MLAs joined members of the Regina Public and Catholic school divisions on Wednesday afternoon to announce funding for a new joint-use elementary school. The announcement was made behind École Harbour Landing and St. Kateri Tekakwitha elementary schools, which are located in a joint-use facility in Harbour Landing and have experienced overcrowded classrooms since they opened in September 2017.
$40 million will be set aside from the 2020-2021 provincial budget for the project. The facility will provide enough space for 400 Regina Public students and 250 Regina Catholic students, based on projected enrolment numbers from each school division.
Education Minister Gord Wyant said planning for a new school usually takes between eight to 12 months.
“A lot of it will depend on the development of a concept plan from the City of Regina,” explained Wyant at Wednesday’s event. “We know the school boards, parents, children and the city are anxious to see their new school built. We will continue to press the city, mayor and city council to get the plan done as quickly as possible.”
Katherine Gagne, board chair with the Regina Public School Board, said this announcement was so “desperately wanted”. She said the new facility will provide more options for families in one of the fastest growing neighbourhoods in the city.
“Over the past number of years, Regina Public Schools is experiencing enrolment growth that is the equivalent of one small to medium-sized school every single year. Nowhere have we seen this growth as much as we’ve seen it in the Harbour Landing community,” stated Gagne.
“I knew when I sat in [École Harbour Landing’s] gymnasium a few months ago and heard from parents, community members and staff that something needed to be done and it needed to be done quickly to accommodate the growth.”
Work is being done between the province, the City of Regina and both school divisions to determine a location for the new building in Harbour Landing.
