According to Rocky View Schools, the division is currently operating at a 91 per cent utilization rate and by 2026, the utilization rate will hit 101 per cent if no new schools or modular units are approved by the provincial government. 

Hence, at the regular Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, the board approved a request to the provincial government for 32 modular units to help mitigate the space issues at division schools. 

"This request, along with a request to relocate two washroom units, will be immediately submitted to the government for consideration," a summary statement read from RVS.

RVS underlined that last year, the division had no other option but to spend its own reserve funds to relocate 10 existing RVS modular classrooms after it was denied twice by Alberta Education, first for funding to add 18 new modulars and second to fund the relocation costs of 10 current RVS modulars as a necessary temporary step to address more critical space needs in some RVS schools.

"This request, along with a request to relocate two washroom units, will be immediately submitted to the government for consideration. If approved, these modular units will help mitigate RVS’ enrolment issue in the short term but will also increase the stress on core school buildings which will have more students than they were built to accommodate."

To determine the number of modulars needed, RVS stated that its administration performed a thorough review of division-wide space needs and how those could be met by modular classrooms in some schools.

"The requested modular units would reduce the utilization rate at each school from what is projected for the 2023/24 school year, which in all cases will significantly exceed 100 per cent without the addition of these units."

The Board of Trustees also recognized students from the division who obtain a perfect mark of 100 per cent on a provincial diploma exam, but due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the first recognition of student accomplishments since 2020. Kai Suzuki from Airdrie’s Bert Church High School earned 100 per cent in both Physics 30 and Biology 30 and was congratulated by RVS on the accomplishment.

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