The Alberta government has paused the construction of a new rural school, after contractor tenders came in over budget.

Work was expected to begin this month on the $23.4-million project in Red Earth Creek, Alta., a hamlet about 350 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

The provincial government estimates construction will be delayed for nine months, as it shifts to a more cost-effective procurement method. But Jeff Thompson, Peace River School Division (PRSD) superintendent of schools, thinks it could take even longer.

“Our calculation out of it is that it is likely going to delay [construction] by one more full year,” Thompson told the PRSD board of trustees at a special April 9 meeting.

Thompson reasoned that it will be difficult to begin construction in the middle of winter, where the timeline now falls.

He said he was shocked to find out about the delay on April 2, and expected the project was “inevitable” just a day before receiving that news.

‘Substantially over-budget’

Infrastructure Minister Martin Long told CBC News on Thursday that the lowest tender “was substantially over budget from what we expected,” although he did not give specific dollar figures.

The community’s remote location makes the project more expensive, Long said.

“We are looking at other methods of procurement like off-site construction. Not necessarily modular, there are several types of off-site construction that we’ve learned about in the past number of years,” Long said.

He added that the province will look at all options for construction materials, including wood, steel and concrete-based alternatives.

He said the ministry is committed to ensuring the end product meets the expected standards and community needs. 

Construction completion is now being eyed for the fall of 2027, rather than the previous winter 2027 target.

Long said his department will keep meeting with the PRSD as the process continues.

Not like other rural school closures

Last year, the PRSD closed a school in Dixonville due to low enrolment. Earlier this week, École Providence in McLennan found out it would be closing its doors this summer for similar reasons.

Those situations are very different from what’s happening in Red Earth Creek, where there is strong enrolment but an aging school in poor condition, PRSD board chair Lacey Buchinski told CBC News.

“There’s nowhere that they could get bused to that’s viable … they’re not close to another town or school that they could go to,” Buchinski said. 

“This [school] is like the heart of their community, and this is everything for them. So that just adds another level of sadness and disappointment.”

Buchinski said more than 100 students attend the existing K-12 Red Earth Creek School.

The “makeshift” school was built long before PRSD took over jurisdiction, and renovations were not financially viable, she said. Buchinski referenced limited bathroom facilities in the current space as one of the posing challenges for students.

The PRSD sent a letter to Long and Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides on Monday, inviting them to the community for a meeting to discuss the project.