Q & A
Q#1. Is the Town of Carlyle getting a new school?
A. Yes, on March 22, 2023 Donna Harpauer, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance, announced in the 2023-24 Saskatchewan Provincial Budget that their budget has allocated funds for planning for a new PreK-12 school to replace and consolidate the elementary and high school in Carlyle. These funds in the amount of $1,300,000 have been received by the Southeast Cornerstone School Division to start the planning phase.
Q#2. Where will the new school be located?
A. In 2014, the Southeast Cornerstone School Division determined that neither of their existing properties were suitable for a new build and reached out to the Town of Carlyle to secure a property that would fit a new Pre-K – Grade 12 school, after discussion with the Town, SECPSD determined the 21-acre parcel would meet their needs and the subdivision was approved at the August 19, 2015 Meeting Minutes
Q #3. Who will make the decisions on the design of the new school?
A. This is a School Division project and they will be the lead on it. The New School Committee in place that consists of representatives from Sask Builds and Procurement, Southeast Cornerstone School Division, Representatives from Carlyle Elementary School, Gordon F. Kells High School and members designated from the Town of Carlyle and the RM of Moose Mountain Council.
Q #4. When will the new school be built?
A. Currently, we are in the pre-planning stages of this project. The committee will procure the design team and start the planning process. The goal is to take 1 year to plan, and 2 years for construction. With a target open date of September 2026.
Q #5. Will there be any other buildings added to the new school build?
A. The Recreational & Cultural Facilities Feasibility study is now complete and available for public viewing, we encourage you to view the document here:
The report indicates there is little benefit to attaching any recreation or culture facility to the new school, therefore these will be treated as two separate projects with the primary focus on a new school. Co-locating facilities on the same property as the school is still a possibility. We will have further conversations with the school division as they head into the design phase of their project if it is determined to move forward with any co-location of recreation/culture facilities.
Please note that Council passed a motion at their November 15, 2023 Regular Meeting of Council to plan for public engagements sessions to talk to community members about the report in Quarter 1 of 2024. November 15, 2023 Minutes
Q #6. Will there be a new rink or a new Hall?
A. No plans have been decided on at this time, Town Council are currently exploring all options and determining what would be feasible for the Town of Carlyle.
Q #7. Will there be a daycare facility
in the new school?
A. Yes, we have been informed that here will be a 51-seat daycare facility to be built within the school build. The school division will lease the daycare space to a Day Care Operator.
Q #8. Will the current daycare close if there is one built with the new school?
A. The Town of Carlyle has reached out to the Carlyle Cubs Learning Center about the opportunity for them to operate both facilities increasing the daycare seats in our community. Further exploration will take place once we have a firm plan in place.
Q #9. Is there a sewer line that runs through the property for the new school?
A. Yes, there is a sewer line that runs through the property, this line is used as a backup, if a lagoon inlet is closed or under maintenance, sewer can be diverted to the other lagoon inlet via this line and not disrupt town service.
The line crosses in the upper NW corner of the parcel, due to this easement we are not permitted to build a permanent structure overtop of the sewer line.
Q #10. What are the bus routes designated for the new school location?
A. The Southeast Cornerstone School Division has set the bus route for the new school, all busses will access the school from the south using grid roads, no busses will be routed through the Town of Carlyle.
Q #11. Do we know the cost of any extras that could enhance the new school build?
A. Unfortunately, we do not have this information yet, and we likely won’t until an architect has been hired by the School Division to start with the design details. We are hopeful that the architect will be in place in early 2024 at that time we can discuss extras such as an additional, gym, expansion to the PA labs, and other enhancement options.
Q #12. What is the current Pre-K to Grade 12 projected for the new school build?
A. The school division has submitted a number of 518 students for opening enrollment projection on their application.
Q #13. Will the minutes of the School Planning Committee be made available?
A. The minutes will be shared with the members of the committee with the expectation that they will share with their respective groups, also the school division has stated that they can make them publicly available as well.
Q #14. Is the Town of Carlyle planning to build a road on the south side of town "George Avenue”?
A. Currently there are no plans to build George Avenue, it was plotted on a map when the new subdivision of Ruckle & Hayward Road was created. Since this time, the walking path has been created and the drainage ditch through Lions Park expanded – more investigation into the need for this road would be required before any future planning or construction would take place. Council feels the walking path adds great value to our community and would take this into consideration in any future planning.
Q #15. Is the Town widening Carlyle Avenue?
A. Since Carlyle Avenue was extended to Main Street it is quite noticeable that there is a section of the avenue from Mountain Drive to 5th Street East is very narrow. Councils have discussed this project many times, and will re-address further through budget deliberations in early 2024 no timeline has been set for this project.
Q#16. What are Council’s plans for the existing Elementary School and High School after the land swap occurs?
A. We have an understanding with the School Division that the Elementary school would be demolished and the lots returned to usable condition for residential properties. The Town will take over the High School property and are currently in the process of legally finalizing the land swap agreement. While no solid plans have been established for the high school we have discussed many opportunities such as community gym space, meeting/board rooms for committees, these will be deliberated further as the projects progress and all the operating costs are reviewed
Q #17. Has Council considered if the size of the current parcel chosen for the school location could accommodate other recreational or cultural facilities?
A. The Recreational and Culture Feasibility Study led by Colliers Project Leaders is now available for viewing on our website. At the November 15, 2023 Regular Meeting Council passed a motion to plan for public engagements sessions in quarter one of 2024. The report indicates there is little benefit to attaching any recreation or culture facility to the new school, therefore these will be treated as two separate projects with the primary focus on a new school. Co-locating facilities on the same property as the school is still a possibility. We will have further conversations with the school division as they head into the design phase of their project if it is determined to move forward with any co-location of recreation/culture facilities.