New joint-use school opens in Regina; public side already at capacity

The landscaping is yet to go in, but kids are already climbing over the playground, running around the gyms, and studying in the library at the brand new Argyle Elementary School and Ecole St. Pius X joint-use school.

The facility officially opened Monday in Regina’s Lakeview neighbourhood.

While the leadership in the school is pleased with how the build turned out, on the public side of the school, there are already too many kids for the space, at 479.

“Definitely, our community continues to grow and with that we’ll have to look at different accommodations as all our learning spaces are very full of kids that are excited and happy to be here. But yeah, we are very full,” said Kyla Adams, Argyle’s principal.

Sarah Cummings Truszkowski, the new board chair for the Regina Public School Board, explained this isn’t rare.

“They often open and they’re full already. We are trying to do this very quickly (and) get these schools built. In the southeast end of the city, we need the schools now and it’s going to take several years before that happens,” Cummings Truszkowski said.

On the St. Pius side, Shauna Weninger, board chair with the Regina Catholic School Board, said there’s room for about 200 more students.

“We are in a very comfortable position in there right now and as a result of pressures from other areas within the city, that could potentially increase our numbers at St. Pius in coming years,” said Weninger.

Sarah Cummings Truszkowski, board chair with Regina Public Schools, and Shauna Weninger, board chair with Regina Catholic Schools, attend the official opening of the new Ecole St. Pius X and Argyle Elementary School joint-use school on Sept. 25, 2023. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

Both boards have schools beyond capacity in the city. The joint-use school in Harbour Landing was at capacity from the get-go and it’s been a difficult slog to get another school in the area while also having to move students and school boundaries every now and then.

Weninger said more schools are needed in Regina but those situations are many years in the making. The new school in Lakeview has been in the works since 2009, according to Adams.

“We’re also working at improving efficiencies around how we approve school buildings and how we predict enrolment in order to ensure that we are meeting those needs of communities more quickly as opposed to waiting until communities are in crisis as we’ve seen in spaces at Harbour Landing and St. Kateri,” said Weninger.

She said new schools takes a lot of advocacy and partnerships with the city, the Ministry of Education and the divisions.

Premier Scott Moe was at the ribbon-cutting. He said it was an exciting investment and called the school one of the most impressive builds he’s seen.

Moe also spoke to the problem of overcapacity schools and lack of space in classrooms.

“This is a challenge that we have across Saskatchewan, not just here at Argyle/St. Pius (and) the community of Lakeview. Our population is growing in Saskatchewan and with that comes an increasing student population,” said Moe.

Moe said there are 17 schools that are planned or under construction this year across the province – he said he didn’t know of any other year when the number was that high – but he admitted more is needed.

“There’s going to be conversations around additional infrastructure – not only replacing some of the aging infrastructure, but building for some of the growth that we are seeing,” he said.

“This is a very much a needed investment by the provincial government, I would put the importance of the investment in schools right alongside the similar type of investment that we’re making in hospitals across the province as well.”

Saskatchewan Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill (left) and Premier Scott Moe (right) look down on kids doing yoga in a courtyard at the new Ecole St. Pius X with principal Carrie Vany (centre) on Sept. 25, 2023. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)