There have been lots of smiling faces at school groundbreakings in Regina lately, but not everybody in the city is delighted about the process.

The latest development on the new school front was Thursday, when ceremonial shovels were put in the ground in the new Greens on Gardiner neighbourhood in the city's east end.

Two elementary schools (Catholic and public systems) are to be built on one site by 2017 and on Thursday school board officials were expressing their approval and delight.

"This is a great opportunity for Regina Public Schools and all of the residents in the city of Regina," said Regina Public School Director Greg Enion. "For many years we were shrinking in enrolment and now we're growing."

Image | Shovel at Regina school sod turning

Caption: Ceremonial shovel in the ground at the location of the new joint-use school site in southeast Regina. (Jordan Bell (CBC))

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They're two of six schools being built in the city by the province under a so-called P3 (public-private partnership).

There are also double-school projects in the works in the Harbour Landing subdivision and in the still-to-be developed Coopertown.

That last one has been controversial, because it was originally supposed to be built in the Skywood neighbourhood.

The Skywood plan was shelved when the developer said it couldn't proceed, something that angered many parents.

Dean Gerhardt started a Facebook group called "Save Skywood School".

He's still upset over the government's handling of the decision.

"When you look at cost of bussing and transportation. It doesn't make financial sense," Gerhardt said.

The proposed Coopertown development has yet to be approved by the City of Regina.

"Infrastructure costs of developing Coopertown are going to be significant," Gerhardt said. "By the time Coopertown gets developed we'll have already missed a generation of kids."

Education Minister Don Morgan said he hopes those parents will be pleased when they see the final product.

"What I would ask them to do is go out and have a look at how far it's going to be [and] what the transportation component is, but most important I would ask them to wait until fall of 2017 walk through the new facility when it is opened," he said.

"I think that will put a lot of their fears to rest."

Parents will have to wait and see if their children can attend the new schools. The school divisions have yet to settle on boundaries or decide which schools will feature French immersion.