PRSD Engage
Peace River Schools: Community Engagement
As the Peace River School Division (PRSD) Board of Trustees looks toward the future, the need was identified for a community engagement process to understand the values and priorities of families who send their children, both now and in the future, to our schools in Peace River.
Through a community and student survey, as well as community and staff in-person engagement sessions, the PRSD Board of Trustees invited the community to provide their perspectives, thoughts, and opinions on four key areas:
- Grade Reconfiguration: How grade levels are distributed across our schools.
- Language Programming: Your vision for French Immersion in PRSD Schools
- Facility & Location: Where our programs and schools are located.
- Quality Education Priorities: What "excellence" means to you.
The Engagement Period has now Ended
Thank you to everyone who took part in our Peace River Schools: Community Engagement sessions held in the Spring of 2026. During this engagement, the Board sought your input, which helped to guide a Value Scoping session held on June 3 and 4, 2026 at Central Operations in Grimshaw, led by The Workun Garrick Partnership. The session used your survey and consultation feedback alongside information from the Government of Alberta School Capital Manual to form the findings reported in the Peace River Schools Value Scoping Session report.
The Board received the Value Scoping Report at its October 22 meeting and subsequently approved an amendment to its 2026-2029 Capital Plan.
What the updated plan proposes
The plan’s top priority is now an Integrated Educational Infrastructure Solution for the Town of Peace River, replacing the earlier request for pre-planning funding for a value scoping session. It proposes moving from three aging, underutilized schools to two. The plan proposes that:
- Springfield Elementary School be reconfigured to serve Kindergarten to Grade 3, with three aging portables removed and updates to traffic flow, fencing and parking.
- A new Grade 4-12 school would be built on the existing T.A. Norris campus.
- Peace River High School and the original 1956 T.A. Norris building would be decommissioned and demolished after the new school opens. The target operational year is 2031-32.
It is important for our community to know that this information reflects the PRSD Board of Trustees’ request to the Government of Alberta. Funding and timelines depend on provincial approval.
How your feedback was considered
Grade configuration
What you told us: A two-school model had the strongest support across all engagement sessions and channels, and the current three-school model had limited support. The most common criticism was the gap in maturity between Grades 5 and 6 and Grades 7 and 8 at T.A. Norris.
What the Board decided through via the Amended Capital Plan: The updated plan moves to two schools. Participants considered K-6 / 7-12, K-8 / 9-12 and added K-3 / 4-12 during the session. As conversations progressed, the two strongest options were the K-6 / 7-12 and K-3 / 4-12.
The K-6 / 7-12 offered a good fit with curriculum and bell schedules, but participants felt it would be harder to adapt to future changes in enrollment or programming. They weighed that against building conditions, site constraints, cost and long-term risk, which is how the K-3 / 4-12 emerged as the preferred approach. It avoids long-term investment in the high school site, allows the current schools to stay open during construction, and could shift to a 7-12 model if enrollment grows in the future.
Language programming
What you told us: You expect French Immersion to continue.
What the Board decided through the Amended Capital Plan: Supporting French Immersion was a stated Division objective throughout the Value Scoping process, and the updated plan preserves French Immersion pathways at both the K-3 and 4-12 facilities.
Facilities and location
What you told us: Many participants were concerned about a new school on the west side of Town because of access, transportation and distance from community amenities. Some preferred modernizing existing buildings over new construction. Students most wanted improved trades and foods spaces.
What the Board decided through the Amended Capital Plan: The proposed new school would be built on the existing T.A. Norris campus, not a new site. The plan favours new construction over modernization because of the slope instability along 102 Street at the Peace River High School site and the cost of maintaining aging buildings, including more than $11 million in deferred maintenance at T.A. Norris. A new school would include modern CTS, athletic, student support and shared community spaces.
Quality education
What you told us: Support for students with complex needs and teacher quality were the top concerns.
What the Board decided through the Amended Capital Plan: These are largely operational and funding matters beyond the scope of a capital plan. A new facility would, however, provide barrier-free accessibility and dedicated, inclusive spaces for student support services. Advocating for a funding model that specifically supports the complexity challenges experienced in rural, northern Alberta continues to be a priority for the Board.