Boundaries for new Fireside School are still not clearly defined.

Many Glenbow and Mitford parents attended the meeting on January 24, hosted by Rocky View School Division (RVSD) to voice opinions and concerns on the proposed boundary changes for students living in Bow Ridge, Bow Meadows, and Jumping Pound.  

The proposed change in boundaries will have students from the above communities being removed from the Fireside catchment and remaining at the current schools of Glenbow and Mitford.  

RVS is wanting to go ahead with the proposed changes because without them Fireside School is predicted to reach capacity within two years of opening leaving a deficit in numbers at Mitford and Glenbow.

Colette Winter, Rocky View School, Director of Facility, says this meeting was the level of Public Consultation part of the process. In an effort to be transparent Winter shared the demographic numbers about the proposed change in the schools boundaries to show parents a path of how the RVS came to this decision.

"We are here to inform you there is not much change to what we are proposing, and we are here to give you some information regarding this."

In the last year enrolment was up by 1200 students in Rocky View Schools, 25% of that number is for Cochrane alone. This increase is about 50% more than RVS had projected for growth. As RVS does not have access to preschool enrolment numbers as other school districts do, a lot of assumptions are made.

"Projecting for a new school isn't an easy thing, especially when we don't have preschool enrolment numbers."

Colleen Munro, Rocky View School, Chair of the Board of Trustees, saiys  the goal of the meeting was to inform as many parents  going to be effected as the change as possible. She commented the feed back from the parents holds a lot of weight when it is taken back to the Board of Trustees.  Munro, added parents who aren't happy with the decision can always apply for out of area boundary permission to attend the school they were planning on going to originally.

“It's a level one informed consultation. It (parents input) carries weight . We listen to our communities.”

Munro says that she is confident there will be more new schools announced for Cochrane in the future, which will possibly mean more boundary changes again.

There was a short question period, and parents were encouraged to write concerns down on paper at the tables with contact information, so they could be reviewed and answered by RVS at a later date.

The final decision will be made within the next two weeks.

To see what the exact break down of numbers are, click here.