New school site saves dollars, ready now for construction

The City of Beaumont has selected a new joint high school location that will save taxpayer dollars, avoid disruption to the West Recreation site, and deliver a shovel-ready site to address the needs of the community’s growing student population.

On October 16, Council approved the purchase of 13.76 acres of land with existing road and utility access in the southeast Beaumont neighbourhood of Azur/Lakeview.

The new location is available immediately for construction upon approval of funding from the Alberta government. It will also save the City about $6 million from the estimated $12 million it would have cost to prepare and service the land south of the West Recreation Site that was initially identified last year for school construction.

“An unexpected opportunity in the Azur/Lakeview neighbourhood came up this year and we recognized this as the prudent choice. This is a huge win for Beaumont’s families, school boards, and taxpayers,” said Mayor Bill Daneluik. “Not only does this decision mean we’re keeping our commitment to have a shovel-ready joint high school site; we’re able to deliver on that commitment nearly a year early. We’re also saving a tremendous amount of money and avoiding the need to move the dog park at the West Recreation site.”

“We are delighted with the City’s announcement of a new shovel-ready school site in the Azur/Lakeview neighborhood, as this significantly accelerates the project’s readiness,” said Black Gold School Division Board Chair Esther Eckert. “With enrollment projections at École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School growing faster than anticipated, we expect it to exceed 126 per cent utilization by 2026. A second public high school is urgently needed to meet the needs of the community.”

“This move to the Azur/Lakeview neighbourhood is an exciting opportunity for our Catholic school, students and families,” said Donna Tugwood, Board Chair of the St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Separate Regional Division #38. “It allows us to create a modern, accessible learning environment that will foster innovation and collaboration, all while being more cost-effective for our community.”

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. The City also expects 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.

With the new location, the Black Gold and STAR Catholic school divisions can leverage the School Construction Accelerator Program recently announced by the Alberta government. School design and construction is pending confirmation of provincial funding.

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Beaumont high school site history

In April 2023, Beaumont City Council committed land south of the West Recreation Site on Township Road 505 to a joint high school project for the Black Gold and STAR Catholic school divisions. A Neighbourhood Structure Plan was prepared outlining transportation networks and utility locations for the land and the City issued a Request for Proposal in 2024 to build road access and install utility servicing in preparation for school construction.

In early summer 2024, the City received an opportunity to purchase land in the Azur/Lakeview neighbourhood with existing road and utility access. The City entered negotiations with the landowners and paused the RFP for the original school site.

Why wasn’t the Azur/Lakeview location considered earlier?

It was. At the time, the location wasn’t feasible and the West Recreation Site would have been ready the fastest. In the past several months, circumstances for the landowners changed and the opportunity for the City to buy the land become available.

What does the City plan to do with the $6 million savings?

The savings will be allocated to other capital priorities through the budget and capital planning process.

What is the City doing to find sites for K-9 schools?

Beaumont’s population is growing rapidly, and we know there will be a need for more schools. We’re currently working on a plan that maps out facility and land needs for the community for the next 20 years. 

What will the school designs look like and when will they be completed? Will they be P3 (Public-Private Partnership) schools?

Funding for the design and construction of schools in Alberta is provided by the provincial government. There has been no funding allocated to new high schools in Beaumont at this time.

Media contact:
Mike Berezowsky
Director, Communications
780-243-0458
mike.berezowsky@beaumont.ab.ca