13 more schools in the next decade, Tories promise

A re-elected Progressive Conservative government would build 13 more schools, mostly withinWinnipeg, but the party was vague about any timeline other than promising it would happen within the next 10 years.

Leader Brian Pallister pledged two new schools each for the growing subdivisionof Sage Creek and the area of Waverley West and Prairie Pointein Winnipeg, while the city of Brandon would also receive two new schools.

The party also promises a new school forTranscona, McPhillipsand the north andnorthwest areas of Winnipeg. Beyond city limits, new schools are scheduled for West St. Paul, Steinbach and Morden.

Of the 13 schools, three would be for French-speaking (Division scolaire franco-manitobaine) students. Only one would accommodate high school students.

$500 million for 20 schools

"Manitobans want and deserve more and better schools for their children, and they want them sooner than was the case under the previous NDP government," Pallister said at an announcement Thursday morning,outside Amber Trails Community School in north Winnipeg.

Pallister would not say how many of theschools he would be built in his nextterm.

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The party's headquarters later pegged the cost of the 13 new schools and the seven promised in the Tories'first term atroughly$500 million.

This is the list of new schools announced on Thursday:

• Kindergarten to Grade 8 French-languageschool in Transcona.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8school in Morden.
• Grade 9-12 high school in northwest Winnipeg.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8French-languageschool in Sage Creek.
• Kindergarten to Grade 4school in Steinbach.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8school in McPhillips.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8school in Sage Creek.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8school in West St. Paul.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8school in Waverley West-Prairie Pointe.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8school in north Winnipeg.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8school in Waverley West.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8French-language school in Brandon.
• Kindergarten to Grade 8school in southwest Brandon.

Pallister said the province must recover from the dearth of new builds while the NDPwas in power. He said more than 11,600 students are learning in portable, modular classrooms, which is less than ideal.

"We've been playing catch-up here," Pallister said. "We've been literally filling in holes. We've been patching foundations on schools. There'sbeen asks for fixing roofs at various schools.

"We've been fixing schools over the last four years, and we'll continue to do that, but now we need to build new schools because aportable is not the answer."

The Tory leader, however, wouldn't guarantee that his pledge would eliminate the use of modular classrooms, as population growth can exceed projections.

The Progressive Conservatives said at the announcement that they'd build20 new schools over 10 years, but seven of the schools are already underway, including schools in Niverville and Winklerthat are scheduled to open this fall. Construction has started on new schools in the Templeton and Jefferson areas, and one in Brandon.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew said a government under his leadership would build the "same amount [of schools] or better," but also focus on what happens in the classroom, like hiring more teachers and establishing more supports for students.

The NDP said later in anews release that the Tories have yet to finish asingle new school in its three years in government.

If elected, the Manitoba Liberals said they would make sure there areenough schools.

"We'll build as many as is needed," said leaderDougald Lamont. "Wealso want to make sure we're retrofitting old schools as well we don't want to entirely rely on new funding."

ManitobaSchoolBoardsAssociationpresident Alan Campbell said the PC's pledge represents an important step in meeting local needs, "even while we are mindfulthat in several communities, the need for new school buildings is immediate," he said in a statement.

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