Two Cochrane schools from the Rocky View School (RVS) division will be receiving five new modular (portable) classrooms this fall.
Mitford Middle School will receive three new portables, as well as four relocated ones from the Cochrane Francophone School and one from George McDougall.
Elizabeth Barrett will receive two new portables, as well as the onsite relocation of four more.
According to John Wheatley with RVS, the cost of onsite relocation alone rang $230,000 and is not being covered by the province; the cost to build the new portables for Mitford was also not covered by the province and RVS has shelled out the $600,000 to build the three new portables.
The Mitford relocations are now complete and construction of the new portables is to be announced; placement of Elizabeth Barrett portables is slated for mid-October.
As of April 2014, RVS will pay $50,000 for each new or relocated modular classroom.
Each portable is rated by the province to hold 25 students and each is constructed with steel walls and rubber roofing for better protection from hail damage.
With respect to the 10 per cent population growth in Cochrane, Wheatley said it’s too early to speculate on the enrollment increases at Cochrane schools in the RVS division (enrollment counts are conducted Sept. 30) or whether or not the additional portable classrooms would adequately accommodate population growth in local schools.
