Tomorrow, (Thursday, March 23 )is the final day in which residents can weigh in on the fate of the Rocky View Schools' Powell Street school in Cochrane before the RVS Board makes a decision. The online portal has been open for feedback for a couple of months but people were able to register to present to the RVS Board in person on Thursday, March 23. 

The Powell Street school was vacated by Holy Spirit School last year, and the property was sold back to Rocky View Schools. Since then, two public community meetings have been held in January and March to decide how to best utilize the school. There has also been the opportunity to voice opinions online through RVSengage. 

Five accommodation options were presented by Rocky View Schools and feedback from stakeholders has been encouraged. The options included: 

  • K-4 students from communities east of Highway 22 and south of Bow River attend the school on Powell Street.
  • All K-4 FI students attend school on Powell Street. • Glenbow and Elizabeth Barrett schools become K-5 English. • Manachaban and Mitford Schools become Gr. 6-8 English.
  • K-5 English students in the communities of Heartland and East End attend the school on Powell Street. • Elizabeth Barrett and Glenbow become K-5 English and FI. • Mitford and Manachaban become Gr. 6-8.
  • CCA becomes a dual campus (K-5 in school on Powell Street and Gr. 6-8 in the current location) • FI from Glenbow feeds into Mitford. • Manachaban continues as FI for Elizabeth Barrett only.
  • All of CCA K-8 attend the school on Powell Street. • FI from Glenbow feeds into Mitford. • Manachaban continues as FI for Elizabeth Barrett.

Steph Gillies, a resident of Riversong and the parent of a student who attends Fireside School will be the first speaker in front of the RVS Board at its public meeting being held at 10 a.m. on March 23. Her presentation will include the petition she created entitled, “Keep Fireside School Together” which has 917 signatures opposing the move of Fireside students to the Powell Street school. Gillies says, “When we moved to Cochrane, we evaluated the schools and we knew that Fireside was going to be a brand-new school with more of an open concept, which was really important to me and so we chose to move here nine years ago because of the new school opening up.” 

 

Steph GilliesSteph Gillies will be one of the speakers presenting before the RVS Board on March 23, 2023.

The online portal by which all stakeholders can weigh in on the options at RVSEngage will close tomorrow. 

The RVS board is expected to announce their decision on who will occupy the Powell Street school on April 27.