Numerous Rocky View Schools will undergo upgrades and repairs next year after trustees unanimously approved its 2011-12 Infrastructure, Maintenance and Renewal Program budget.
The $2.4 million approval will feature no less than 70 projects next year.
Among the larger projects is a $150,000 investigation into Langdon School’s roof, which is need of repair. Also on the docket is a new $120,000 heating system for Indus’ School, a $100,000 renovation of Springbank Community High School’s kitchen and cafeteria and $222,000 for sewage hauling at Elbow Valley Elementary.
The budget also features a $150,000 built-in contingency fund to respond to emergency situations that may arise as well as a backup plan for cost overruns.
“I think our team works extremely hard to stretch the dollars as far as they can go,” said Superintendent of Schools Greg Bass.
Despite supporting the motion, Airdrie Trustee Don Thomas said there’s never enough money in such budgets for constant repairs and upgrades that schools need.
With recent flooding that occurred at Langdon School, Ward 2 Trustee Bev LaPeare asked what happens if multiple high-price incidents were to take place simultaneously.
The answer was simple: overrun the budget and dip into the next year’s funding or find surpluses from another department and use that capital to cover the costs, according to Darrell Couture, associate superintendent of business and operations.
“We don’t have the right or ability to go to the government and say ‘we want more money,’” said Couture. “They would just say ‘manage your money.’”
The answer didn’t fully convince LaPeare of financial stability if multiple disasters occurred.
“It feels like we’re hanging on by the skin of our teeth and there’s a huge waterfall underneath and I’m really, really worried,” she said.
