New elementary school announced for Aspen Woods

A new elementary school will be built in the Calgary community of Aspen Woods, the province announced Monday.

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The Kindergarten to Grade 6 will be part of the Calgary Catholic School District.

"When we heard this wonderful news, it felt in no small part, like Christmas had come early, said board trustee Mary Martin.

She said many of the districts existing schools in growing suburbs are pushed to the maximum.

The school will accommodate about 600 students, the province said, andis expected to be ready for students by 2017.

With confirmation of the new building for Aspen Woods, the next item on the Calgary Catholic board's wish list is a large high school in the deep south, beyond Highway22X.

The province plans to spend over $2 billion in the next few years on new or renovated schools in Alberta. There have been 22previously-announced new schools that are expected to open by fall 2014.

The school in Aspen Woods will be among a further 50 to be built over the next three years.

Students deserve to attend class in their own neighbourhood, in schools tailored to meet their educational programming needs, said Education Minister Jeff Johnson.