CARLYLE - The South East Cornerstone Public School Division (SECPSD) will continue to move forward with the new pre-kindergarten to Grade 12 Carlyle school project.
They have projected an estimate of 518 students at the opening enrolment and a 51-seat pre-kindergarten facility.
In 2014, the SECPSD determined that the existing properties where the Carlyle Elementary School and the Gordon F. Kells High School are located were not suitable for a new school.
After discussing with the town, the SECPSD determined that a 21-acre parcel located at the south end of Main Street would meet their needs.
The subdivision was approved on Aug. 19, 2015, at the town council meeting, with the intention of it being the location for the new school.
This site has been endorsed by multiple councils and was passed on Jan. 5, 2022. A document was submitted to the school division using this location and again on May 17, 2023. This can all be found in the public documents from the Carlyle town council meetings.
The location was a requirement on the SECPSD application for the new school; without the location the application would not have been considered or approved.
The project management contract has been awarded to Colliers Project Leaders and the request for proposals is currently open on SaskTenders for the prime consultants, with a closing date on April 18.
When the prime consultants are in place, the project will move into Phase 2, which is the design development stage.
This is all according to Town of Carlyle chief administrative officer Natalie Miller, who said the prime consultants will provide architectural services plus the provision of structural, mechanical, civil and electrical engineering services as they work through the design process.
Community engagement sessions and stakeholders’ meetings will be organized by the school division to gain input on the design phase of the project.
There is an opportunity to include additional community-funded programming space within the facility, plus federal-funded Indigenous programming.
The SECPSD will work with the school community councils and staff from both schools, as well as the Town of Carlyle to determine what these spaces might be.
Construction is expected to start in the spring of 2025.
SECPSD facilities and transportation manager Andy Dobson, who is the project manager said they received $1.3 million last year and the construction cost for the new school is $34 million, but the overall project will be closer to $40 million, which will include taxes, contingency, demolition of the Carlyle Elementary School, un-fixed furniture, equipment, landscaping, etc.
There is a new school planning committee in place that the SECPSD organized.
Its members are Miller, Dobson; Jim Swyryda, assistant project manager SECPSD; Darcy Howe, Gordon F. Kells vice-principal; Tyler Fehrenbach, Carlyle Elementary School principal; Kathy Tomaszewski, Gordon F. Kells SCC chairwoman; Robin Mryglod, Carlyle Elementary School SCC; Hugh Hislop, Town of Carlyle councillor; Rylan Weir, Rural Municipality of Moose Mountain No. 63 councillor, and Amanda Birkett, SaskBuilds and Procurement consultant.
This committee was established to share information for the various councils, committees and teaching staff. They plan to hold meetings to provide updates on the project, and to date have held four meetings.
The group plans to tour the Langenburg School, which is a pre-kindergarten to Grade 12 facility that opened in 2016.
It is the understanding with the school division that the elementary school buildings will be demolished, and the lot returned to usable condition for residential properties.
The town will take over the high school property and is currently in the process of legally finalizing this land-swap agreement with their legal team.
There are no solid plans for the high school, but council has considered a community gym space and meeting rooms. This will come up in the discussion at community engagement and be part of the town's budget and long-term plan.
Miller said they look forward to getting the results from their Recreation and Culture community engagement sessions in April.
A new school for Carlyle has been in the works for many years, and they are thankful to all the school staff, school division staff, school board trustees, community members and council members before them who have worked towards this goal.
