Cochrane, AB—The Mid-Sized Cities Mayors’ Caucus (MCMC) is pleased with Premier Smith’s and the Government of Alberta’s recent announcement to take immediate action to address the pressing capacity challenges in our K-12 school system. MCMC members are poised and ready to champion this program in our communities.
Our mid-sized cities are some of the fastest-growing communities in Alberta due to the recent population growth. This has translated into record growth within our school systems, placing some jurisdictions near or beyond their capacity.
That’s why we are optimistic that this new School Construction Accelerator Program will be able to meet these challenges head-on and give our communities the support needed to keep building for the future.
“We offer our sincere thanks to the Government of Alberta for recognizing our growth pressures. We need to work together to support one of our most precious resources for the future: our children,” commented Jeff Genung, Mayor of Cochrane and the Chair of MCMC. “As some mid-sized cities have seen upwards of 25 per cent growth over the last several months, we have advocated the Government of Alberta for this type of funding relief. This is a step in the right direction, and we look forward to doing our part to help keep this growth manageable.”
With an increase in education investment of $8.6 billion over the next three years, Alberta will be well-positioned to ensure our students have access to the best K-12 education available. Investing in our children and youth directly supports a brighter, stronger, and more resilient Alberta for generations to come.
MCMC members will support this program to ensure that this opportunity delivers results for our residents, easing permitting and servicing pressures and working collaboratively with education and government stakeholders.
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About the Mid-Sized Cities Mayors’ Caucus: The Mid-Sized Cities Mayors’ Caucus (MCMC) includes 24 municipalities across Alberta with a population of more than 20,000 (not including Calgary or Edmonton), comprising 28 provincial ridings and over one million Albertans.
Media contact:
Mayor Jeff Genung
Town of Cochrane
Chair of Alberta’s Mid-Sized Cities Mayors’ Caucus
Jeff.Genung@cochrane.ca