Another COVID-related death in Grande Prairie, 11 new cases and 10 recoveries
In the province today, 1,155 new cases were identified from over 17,000 tests, meaning we…
In latest news from the Peace Wapiti Public School Division (PWPSD), Deputy Superintendent Darren Young says that enrolment at PWPSD schools currently sits at 5,070 students in ECS - Grade 12, a decrease of 2% from last September.
The number of students did increase at a few schools, with the largest increase at Whispering Ridge Community School (WRCS) with 46 new students this year. Enrolment grew by approximately 14 students at Bonanza School and 15 students at both Harry Balfour School and Sexsmith Secondary School.
Alberta Education deems a school fully utilized when enrolment reaches 85% of capacity. Since opening in 2018, WRCS has already reached a utilization rate of 90.5%.
The school is projected to approach or reach 100% utilization in the upcoming year. With the ongoing construction of new homes in the area, initial conservative estimates saw enrolment increasing steadily by at least 7% each year. This year, the school experienced enrolment growth of 10%, with projections for the upcoming 2020-21 year estimated at 8 to 10%.
Peace Wapiti Academy (PWA) currently sits at 79.2% utilized, with enrolment projections from its five junior high feeder schools indicating that the high school will reach 100% utilization by 2022. Both schools are included in the Board's upcoming request for modular classrooms.
The Board will be requesting four modular classrooms for WRSC, two for PWA and four for Beaverlodge Elementary School. BES currently has four aging modular units that were constructed on site in 1980 and are well past their projected 30-year lifespan.
The Board is also looking for approval from the government for three new schools, as well as modernization of Bonanza School, as part of their 2021-2024 PWPSD Three-Year Capital Plan.
These are:
