Due to construction delays, RancheView School will be operating as a school within a school for the first part of the school year.
Located in Cochrane’s Sunset community, the elementary school will begin operations in September 2016 with its kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 students attending classes on-location. The school’s Grade 3 through to Grade 7 students will be accommodated at Mitford School/Cochrane Christian Academy (CCA).
The school administration held an advisory meeting with parents and the public at Mitford School on Mar. 15 to discuss how the school will operate from September 2016 to December 2016.
“Our K-2 program will begin at RancheView site proper. It will be housed in the eastern wing, which will consist of eight portable classrooms, a washroom area, an office/staff area, and a multi-purpose room,” said Don Hoium, superintendent of Rocky View Schools (RVS) and emcee of the evening.
He explained the area surrounding the student and guest entrances will be turfed and the remainder of the building will be securely fenced and cordoned off from the interior to allow construction to be completed.
“We’ve had a lot of co-operation from Alberta Infrastructure and the Town of Cochrane and our school division in looking at planning to ensure that this can be done appropriately and safely,” Hoium explained.
“The second location for RancheView school from September to December will be at Mitford site but it will be a self-contained school. It will be in the standalone relocatables – it consists of 13 relocatables.”
The administration explained how busing would work for the two locations and explained the two sites will have different dismissal times to accommodate bus loading and transit times.
The school will also hold monthly assemblies with all of its students either at Mitford School/CCA or Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre.
The meeting provided a chance for RVS to introduce RancheView School’s new principal, Sharon Cronin, who was eager to rise to the challenge of the school opening in phases.
“My philosophy when we look at any time we have something that presents itself that some people might view as an obstacle, my philosophy is it’s an opportunity,” Cronin explained.
“We’re going to take this opportunity and you will see all of the positive things we put in place to ensure that even your children will see this as a great opportunity.”
Cronin explained what staff would be operating at each location. She intends to travel back and forth between the two sites.
This isn’t the first time a school has delayed opening due to construction. The board chair for RVS, Colleen Munro, referenced similar circumstances which happened in Chestermere and Airdrie.
Parents at the meeting expressed concern over what caused the delays, how scent sensitivities will be handled at the construction site, and how the school intends to excite children attending classes at the Mitford/CCA site rather than at the new school.
One parent suggested the contractor should face a penalty for the delay and that maybe they should “gift” the school with a new playground to appease students and parents. Her suggestion was met with a round of applause at the meeting.
The construction of the rest of RancheView School is anticipated to be completed for the school’s reopening after the holiday break on Jan. 9.
More information about the school and recent updates can be found at rockyview.ab.ca/new-schools/rancheview
