March 20, 2019 Board Meeting News

March 22nd, 2019

Regional Office, Barrhead – 

Barrhead Comp remains top capital plan priority

The school board adopted their three-year capital plan, keeping Barrhead Composite High School (BCHS) as their top priority. Last fall, Alberta Education funded a Value Scoping Session to examine the implications of modernizing and right-sizing the school vs. building a replacement. Representatives from Alberta Education, Alberta Infrastructure, Pembina Hills, BCHS School Council, Town of Barrhead, County of Barrhead, and Woodlands County participated in the session. The board will wait until they receive the report from that session before deciding on the scope of work to request.

The board’s number two capital plan priority is a full modernization of École Westlock Elementary School.

School board looking for support to change school bus speed limit laws

The school board will be asking neighbouring school boards for their support on a proposed policy position to be considered at the Alberta School Boards Association Fall General Meeting. The proposal requests “that the Minister of Transportation establish that school buses may operate at the same speed as the posted speed limit.”

Currently Alberta is the only province with a law that guides the speed of school buses—90 km/h or the posted speed limit, whichever is less. On major highways, school buses are often travelling 10-20 km/h slower than the flow of traffic. In these situations, bus drivers report that other motorists are performing unsafe passing maneuvers, using inappropriate hand gestures, honking and tailgating.

April 16 is Provincial Election Day

The school board encourages you to ask your candidates these questions:

  1. How will you ensure that my child will have a similar education in rural Alberta as those in urban centers?
  2. What is your plan to address the education challenges in rural Alberta?
  3. How will your party support predictable and sustainable funding for education, given current economic challenges within the province?

 

Check out the board meetings page to see the full agenda and minutes.

The next school board meeting will be held at Regional Office in Barrhead on Wednesday, April 4, 2019 starting at 9:30 a.m. Members of the public are welcome to attend.