The new high school in Blackfalds will be completed and operating for the 2024-2025 school year. Iron Ridge Secondary Campus will be home to grades nine to twelve and an information night will be held on Thursday, November 2nd at Iron Ridge Junior Campus from 7PM to 8PM.  

“We're going to be going over the grade configurations and what kind of option classes we're going to be offering. Then the big part is our next steps. In December, we're going to be sending out a commitment survey to those families who have students that currently attend Lacombe Comp and we need to see how many students we have in our building. Everything is contingent on student numbers so that we can start developing our programming and start hiring our staff,” explained Principal of Iron Ridge Secondary Campus, Ed Cole.  

Cole says they have a pretty good idea of numbers based on the students currently enrolled in grades eight and nine at the Junior High School but the challenge will be determining how many students at Ecole Lacombe Composite High School will attend the new school.  

“They want to see what kind of options and things that we're going to be offering and I get it. Some of their kids have already attended there for two years and they just want to finish graduating there. For some of them, it depends on where they live in Blackfalds or in the catchment area and they just want to go to Lacombe to be with their friends or because it's a little bit closer of a drive,” said Cole.  

Iron Ridge Secondary Campus could offer programs in welding, mechanics, cosmetology, art, and woodworking to students in the school and grades seven and eight from Iron Ridge Junior Campus. The programming will be dependent on enrollment. 

Cole says the information night is geared more towards parents of students who may attend the school but anyone in the community is welcome.  

“I'm putting together a presentation so that parents can see everything that's led up to this point and then how things are going to work between now and September. There will be a question and answer period because I know there's lots of questions that people have and we want to make sure that the answers they're getting are based on facts,” he added. 

Overall, Cole adds that the construction on the new school is going on smoothly and as scheduled. Work is finishing up on the exterior of the building and soon work will begin to finish the inside.  

Anyone with questions about the school is encouraged to email Cole directly at ed.coles@wolfcreek.ab.ca.  

For more information on the event click here.  

 

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