6 Planned starter schools in Edmonton to open at full size

The province has accepted a proposal that will see six new, full-sized school buildings open their doors in Edmonton for the 2016-2017 school year.

Originally, the province planned to fund the new facilities as starter schools, each capable of holding about 250 students, with the intent to complete construction as quickly as possible. The option would have then been open to expand the schools later on.

However, advocates with the Edmonton's Catholic and public school districts sent letters to Education Minister Gordon Dirks, proposing plans to build full-sized schools right from the start.

"In the areas where we were looking at building starter schools, it was already going to be of such great demand that as soon as we built it we would have to be building an expansion on it — so having to do construction with students learning in classrooms. It's disruptive and difficult," said Michael Janz, the chair of the Edmonton Public School Board.

Advocates estimated the switch from starter school to a full-sized school would add six to eight months in construction time. 

On Wednesday, the province accepted the proposal. Education Minister Gordon Dirks said the arguments from the school boards for the bigger schools were logical and persuasive. 

"We want to get as many school spaces built as quickly as we can for as many students given our fast growing population," said Dirks on Thursday. 

Janz said with 10,0000 more students enrolled in Edmonton Public schools over the past four years, the schools are desperately needed. 

In Edmonton, four new public schools and two new Catholic schools — each accommodating between 600 and 900 students — will go up in the city’s south and west ends.

Calgary is also slated to receive six new schools.

The schools are expected to open September 2016.