Parents to be engaged in Holy Spirit School Division decision-making planning process

Holy Spirit School Division and the Division’s Board of Trustees are excited about the construction of a new west Lethbridge elementary school and its opening in 2026. 

“To prepare for this opening, we will be adjusting our attendance areas to ensure enrolment in this new school and others across Lethbridge is equalized. Due to increased enrolment across the Division, we must also use this opportunity to alleviate enrolment pressures at schools across Lethbridge,” notes Holy Spirit in a recent media release. 

Board Chair Dr. Carmen Mombourquette says in each of the past three years the school division has grown in student enrolment equal to the size of a small elementary school. “A benefit that will come with this new school will be an easing of the space crunch being faced in many of our schools.”  

To ensure everyone’s needs are being met, Holy Spirit will be involving parents from all Lethbridge Holy Spirit Division schools in the decision-making process before developing a plan.  

This will include Board of Trustee-led community consultations on how to make these changes in a manner that best supports all students.  

Feedback from the initial round of community consultations will be used to inform the design of a tentative plan, which will once again be consulted on with parents prior to finalization.  

“Through the process for setting new attendance boundaries, parents will be first consulted and a plan of action will follow. Parent voice is extremely important and valued and why we will talk first, show the current attendance data, get suggestions on a way forward and then plan,” adds Mombourquette. 

Construction on the new school is anticipated to begin next fall. The funding for the school was announced last year, prior to the Government of Alberta’s September 2024 funding announcement of $8.6 billion to build new schools in Alberta.