6 new schools open in Calgary

Six new schools and one refurbished older school opened in Calgary this week, with a further three new facilities expected to swing open their doors in the coming weeks.

The schools are the latest in a series of new facilitiesfirst promised by the previous Tory government.

In the city's southwest, about 350 students took in their new classrooms at West Ridge School.

"Having, like, the 3Dprinter and all the new tools there is going to be fun," said 13-year-old Jared Norris on his school's new construction lab.

Norris said his old school was packed and he's happy now that it's easier to "get around."

Eight opened in September

In September, eight new schools opened, in addition to two modernized older facilities.

School board trustee Trina Hurdman said the new schools are welcome, but they're not enough to keep up with demand.

"We are still growing in Calgary despite the economy, and we don't want to get the same point that we were at threeyears ago where our schools were really bursting at the seems we want to be forward planning," she said.

Hurdman said the board requested funding for 19 new schools in its capital plan last spring, as well as 10 major modernizations.

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