Construction of Calgary schools delayed after province rejects P3 option

The construction of some new schools in Calgary is being pushed back after the province decided against using theP3 option for building.

• Average high school class sizes up in Calgary
• Trustees agree to school fee hikes as CBE debates budget
• Siblings won't get top priority in public school lotteries

The province announced Wednesday that it is abandoning the public-private partnership option for building 19 new schools, including eightin Calgary.

Instead it will proceed on its own with school boards and the constructionwill be delayed until 2017.

"We are growing by 3,000 to 4,000 students every year and that's the equivalent of growing by fiveto sixelementary schools every year," said Sheila Taylor, the chair of the Calgary Board of Education.

"We're talking about neighbourhoods that really do need schools."

Dawn Reinhart, whose threechildren were going to attend theproposed Copperfield school, says it's disappointing.

"If it opened in 2016 like it was planned, my kids would get grades 3and 4so if that's pushed back, they might get Grade 4and by that point,I'm not going to pull them out of the school they're in."

Sheila Taylor says the CBE is already working on 11school projects and she doesn't know how many more itcan take on.