Statement from Mayor Bill Daneluik Regarding High School Funding

“The Alberta government’s long-anticipated announcement of funding for new high school space in Beaumont is tremendous news for families and students. Beaumont is one of the fastest-growing communities in Alberta and this announcement is an important milestone that brings much-needed high school space closer to reality.

École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School is bursting at the seams. We’ve been working closely with the St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic and Black Gold school divisions to move new high school space for Beaumont to the top of the list for the provincial government. Our combined efforts are now paying off. Council made a new school site one of our priorities. This past October, we secured a shovel-ready location in Azur/Lakeview, speeding up the process and saving the City about $6 million from the estimated $12 million it would have cost to prepare and service land near the West Recreation site that we had initially set aside for a school project.

With 25 per cent of Beaumont residents under the age of 15, the rapidly growing youth demographic is driving the need for new high school space in Beaumont. We also expect significant pressure from neighbouring communities, like the East Vistas in Leduc County, which is anticipated to be home to more than 1,300 additional high-school-aged children once fully built.

On behalf of Council and the community, we are incredibly grateful to the Government of Alberta for this commitment that will have a lasting impact for the education of students in Beaumont. Thanks also to Leduc-Beaumont MLA Brandon Lunty for being a strong advocate for the families of our community.”