Schools in Southwest Edmonton are experiencing significant population pressures and issues of student overcrowding. Whilst portable classrooms were brought in at two capacity K-9 schools, Esther Starkman and Johnny Bright, these were insufficient to meet the large enrollment demands of the area. Recently the EPSB announced the decision to relocate Grades 8 & 9 from both these schools, with some students being sent out of their designated ward due to lack of space in their community school.

Population growth in Southwest Edmonton is only projected to increase, not diminish, and the time to act for sufficient school space is NOW. As Southwest Edmonton already has a significantly higher than average number of school age children and is continuing to expand at unprecedented levels, it is only a matter of time until the majority of schools in the Southwest will be experiencing overcrowding. With a minimum 3 year construction time frame, funding of new school construction needs to be provided NOW so the educational needs of our children are not further jeopardized. We ask the Alberta Government to meet the needs of our community and provide funding to build schools without delay.