Rocky View Schools’ board members will wait until June 2 to hear a report from Superintendent of Schools Greg Bass regarding a sports school in Crossfield.
The program would be modelled around the Edge School for Athletes, located in Springbank, which combines specialized training in sports with academics.
Bass met with Edge representatives last week and learned the sports board is working with another anonymous school board to implement a similar program. Because of this, the hockey school, which would operate out of W.G. Murdoch High School, hasn’t been fully examined for its potential to house the program.
“(Edge School) very much would like to work on this project but they don’t want to spread too far, too fast,” said Bass at the April 21 board meeting. “I just think it was good of them to be honest and to share that.”
Crossfield Mayor Nathan Anderson presented the idea of The Centre of Excellence at W.G. Murdoch to the board Feb. 3. Discussion centred on a hockey-only program but it was decided the specialized curriculum would include fine arts and other sports. Bass suggested a workshop model where students from W.G. Murdoch would visit Edge School or vice-versa 10 or 20 times over the next year.
Some trustees voiced their displeasure with the decision saying the community worked hard for the program, but understood it’s best to have a polished product.
“I have to say I’m disappointed,” said Ward 2 Trustee Bev LaPeare. “I was really looking forward to… this community having this program.”
“If your going to do something, and see it through, you should do it right,” said Sylvia Eggerer, Ward 3 trustee.
Anderson said he was pleased with the outcome.
“It’s good news,” he said. “We all want this to happen.”
Anderson said the program could run without the blessing of the Edge School, but not to its full potential. He thinks workshops are a positive alternative for the next year.
“I think that’s smart and sensible,” said Anderson. “It lets them dip their feet in before jumping in.”
The program requires a minimum of 50 students with tuition costing $3,500 per person.
The religious program operating out of Mitford Middle School will now formally be known as Cochrane Christian Academy.
Rocky View Schools’ trustees unanimously voted on the name change for Cochrane Christian Program at their board meeting, April 21.
The K-7 school could have alternately been called Cochrane Christian School but there was fear people would colloquially refer to it as “Cochrane Christian” and said the new name is a suitable way around that problem.
