Alberton School

While a collective design process between architects and parents of students of J.W. Walker, Alexander MacKenzie, and Alberton schools is set for mid-April, Alberton Reeve John Milling isn’t sure if the consultation is after the fact when it comes to the closure of their school.
“I was at the public meeting we had at the school a few weeks ago, where Mr. Hoshizaki and others attended,” he said. “And I wasn’t sure whether the decision to close the school had been made and just not finalized, or what?”
The board announced last week that Winnipeg-based architectural firm, Prairie, would meet with stakeholders next month to start a process that would let the public have input on design decisions.
But Reeve Milling noted the process might not matter much to some Alberton residents, including himself as a father of children attending the school there.
“Ideologically, the parties are at different poles,” he remarked. “Intellectually, I understand why they want to close the school. It costs too much to maintain, and the numbers aren’t there to build a new one.
“But parents of Alberton do not necessarily believe bigger is better. A smaller school is good,” he added. “And even citizens who don’t have children in school think the school is important to the fabric of the community.”
But the reeve conceded the real test of what Alberton will think of the planning process will have to come next month.
“Addressing the citizens’ concerns is always good, as best you can,” he reasoned. “I know the world’s not going to fall in if the new school does go ahead, which I think it will.”
The board chose Prairie after the architectural selection committee recommended the firm at the board’s regular meeting March 6. It then met with the firm last week to decide to go through with the collective design process.
The board first agreed in early December to look into expanding Walker–and closing Alberton and MacKenzie–as well as moving Sixth Street into a renovated Huffman.
The decision came after a pupil accommodation committee and facilities review committee, which included school council members, confirmed some district schools are too costly to maintain as they are.