New schools coming to Regina, Saskatoon with 2024 budget

Schools in Saskatchewan’s two largest cities are filling up with students, and the demand for more schools has never been higher.

As part of the province’s 2024-25 budget, an increased investment was made into building new schools.

“We know that we’re seeing significant growth in the two large cities in our province,” Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said after the budget was announced Wednesday.

According to budget documents, about $216 million is set to go toward school infrastructure — up by $68.7 million from last year’s budget. It’s part of the $3.3-billion total budget for the ministry of education.

$8.8 million of the investment has been allocated for the planning of nine new schools and renovations across the province, including in the province’s largest cities.

Regina

Regina’s east end over the last 25 years has grown tremendously, but new schools have not been built to keep up with demand.

Now, however, plans are in the works for one joint-use elementary school (public and catholic) and one joint-use high school on the east side of the city.

“We are working hard to find the land for that,” Regina Mayor Sandra Masters said. “It puts schools in the neighbourhoods where people live and that is really what builds community. I think with the growth on the southeast side, (schools) are needed and it’ll be very welcome.”

For years, many families living in the east end with high school students have sent their kids to Campbell High School. The only other high school in the east end is Johnson Collegiate.

“(Having another) high school will really alleviate a lot of traffic concerns,” Masters went on to say.

In terms of the emphasis on a joint-use school with some sort of recreation centre in the middle, Masters said the space should hopefully get great usage.

“We have a community centre going into Harbour Landing and we know it’s definitely needed in that joint use school. And so we’re looking at that at that on the east side as well,” Masters said.

Saskatoon

Up Highway 11 in Saskatoon, a similar plan of attack has been laid out.

In Saskatoon’s Brighten neighbourhood, a joint-use elementary school is in the planning stage, while a new joint-use high school will be built in east end of the city.

Ward 2 Coun. Hilary Gough said people in the community have been waiting for a new school for a long time.

“I know residents and neighbours in the neighbourhood have been asking about when the schools will be there, so knowing we will be able to proceed with the high school and then planning work for the elementary schools is really exciting,” Gough said.

Currently there is no timeline on when the schools will be complete, but in terms of the high school, Gough said the earliest would be late 2026 or early 2027.

“There’s a lot of young families in Brighton, and this provides certainty when you’re moving into the neighbourhood that you can stay within the neighbourhood to go to school,” she said. “It really enables community to come together.”

Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark said 15,000 people have moved to the city in the last year, and new schools will really help to alleviate some of the pressures.

“This is very urgently needed and very welcome,” Clark said. “But the reality is, we are going to need more schools right away.”

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