BM HIghlights Sept 2026

Board Meeting Highlights - September 15, 2026

event Published 2026-09-16 19:10:58.229 +0000 UTC

Additional information can be found in the September 15, 2026, Board Meeting Agenda packages: https://www.myprps.com/news/prps-public-board-meeting-agenda

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Organizational Meeting

Each fall, the Board of Trustees elects a Board Chair, Vice Chair and other key Board representative positions. In addition to their regular duties, the following trustees will represent Prairie Rose Public Schools during the 2026 to 2027 school year:

✔️ Patty Rooks, Board Chair

✔️ Pam Cursons, Vice Chair

✔️ Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) Representative – Pam Cursons

✔️ ASBA Alternate – Patty Rooks

✔️ Public School Boards Association of Alberta (PSBAA) Representative – Darren Howes

✔️ PSBAA Alternate – Janel Vossler

✔️ Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) Representative – Pam Cursons

✔️ Rural Caucus of Alberta School Boards (RCASB) Representative – Nancy Haraga

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Public Board Meeting

Executive Report

The Board received several updates as part of the Superintendent’s Executive Report:

  • Yuill School of Agriculture Fundraising: Approximately $978,000 has been raised since May, with much of the funding coming through naming opportunities and the Raise the Roof Gala. Proceeds from the golf tournament held at the end of August will also contribute to the total. Prairie Rose thanked the organizers, sponsors and donors who continue to support the project.
     
  • SafeArrival: SafeArrival has now been implemented across Prairie Rose schools. The system works with PowerSchool and notifies families when a student has not arrived for class, providing an additional way to support attendance monitoring and accountability for student presence.
     
  • Literacy and Numeracy Supports: Prairie Rose is implementing new literacy and numeracy screening and intervention requirements under Bill 25. Division teams are coordinating the rollout of required screenings and additional supports to help identify and address student learning needs.
     
  • Jurassic Battery Energy Storage System: The Board received an update on the Jurassic Battery Energy Storage System near Jenner, an 80 MW battery storage project under development in Cypress County. The system will store electricity and release it back to Alberta’s grid when needed, helping support grid reliability and the continued integration of renewable energy. The project supports the renewable wind energy initiative that Prairie Rose is already a joint partner in through the Alberta Schools Commodities Purchasing Consortium and builds on the division’s existing participation in wind energy.

Surplus Property

The Board approved motions declaring two division owned properties as surplus: the former Glen Echo School property and four lots in Bindloss.

Under provincial requirements, surplus property must first be identified through a Board motion and submitted to the Government of Alberta before the division can proceed with a potential sale or transfer. Declaring the properties surplus begins that process.

Yuill School of Agriculture Update

Construction of the Yuill School of Agriculture continues to progress, with roof trusses now being installed. The facility is scheduled to open in September 2027.

Plans for the school include a storefront, a commercial kitchen designed around the learning environment at Lethbridge Polytechnic, a veterinary lab that can accommodate large animals and a shop with space for students to work on large agricultural equipment. The second floor will include five classrooms with movable walls that can be configured for different learning and gathering needs.

Prairie Rose is also exploring opportunities for students from across the division to access programming and learning experiences at the facility. Trustees and PRPS staff are scheduled to tour the construction site to see the progress firsthand.

Education Foundation Update

Prairie Rose Public Schools has established an Education Foundation following several months of development work. The Foundation will hold its inaugural meeting this fall.

The Foundation will provide additional opportunities to support Prairie Rose projects and programming through fundraising and access to grants that have not previously been available to the division.

2026 Special Olympics Transportation Update

Trustees recognized the organizers of the 2026 Special Olympics and the significant work involved in hosting the event.

Prairie Rose supported the event by providing buses and transportation services to help athletes travel between venues. Trustees recognized PRPS transportation staff and bus drivers for the planning and coordination required to ensure athletes were able to get where they needed to go throughout the event.

Redcliff School Project Update

Planning continues for the new Redcliff K to 9 school. The current provincial funding supports development of the project to approximately 30 per cent design, including the schematic design, school layout and placement of the building on the site.

Once this stage is complete and construction funding is approved, an RFP can be issued for the remaining design and construction work. Alberta Education staff are recommending the project move forward for construction funding, with Prairie Rose awaiting further confirmation and timelines. The Town of Redcliff has also begun the process of transferring ownership of the school site to the division.

Prairie Rose is planning a community process to gather suggestions for the name of the new school, with the Board making the final selection. The Education Foundation will also explore grant opportunities to support development of an artificial turf field at the new school.

ATB Borrowing Resolution

Trustees approved the renewal of the annual ATB borrowing resolution, providing up to $750,000 in short term borrowing authority if required. The borrowing authority is renewed annually as a financial planning measure and has not previously been used.

Locally Developed Courses

The Board approved the continued use of Competencies in Math 15, previously offered in Prairie Rose schools as Math 10 Prep. The course provides additional time, strategies and approaches for students who may have gaps in previous mathematics learning, with the goal of preparing them for success in provincial Mathematics 10 courses.

Competencies in Math 15 is available as a three or five credit course and includes learning in number sense, logic and reasoning, measurement, algebra, graphical reasoning, statistics and probability. The course does not fulfill the mathematics requirement for high school graduation.

Accolades

Trustees recognized:

  • Fundraising efforts and community support for the Yuill School of Agriculture.
  • The Transportation Department and bus drivers for their work over the summer preparing routes and transportation services for the start of the new school year.
  • PRPS transportation staff for their work supporting transportation for the 2026 Special Olympics.
  • The Student Experiences team and school staff for their work supporting students and creating environments that encourage student success.