BSD to unveil plans for new school

Residents will get a first look at Brandon’s newest K-8 school this evening at an information session on the $20-million project planned for Brookwood South.

The open-house-style session will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the library at Vincent Massey High School at 715 McDiarmid Dr.

Brandon School Division Supt. Mathew Gustafson said the event will feature project renderings and virtual-design demonstrations.

“This is a chance for us to share details about the new school with people in the community,” he told the Sun on Tuesday, adding that the target date for opening is September 2027.

Gustafson said visitors will be able to see drawings and renderings showing what the school and schoolyard could look like.

“There will be an opportunity for people to see how the technology is used in the design of new buildings,” he said.

Representatives from general contractor Penn-co Construction will demonstrate virtual-reality technology being used to identify potential design conflicts before construction begins, he said.

“They’ll have virtual-reality glasses that can show how they use that to look at things like where lines and different ductwork and different things like that were running, so they could identify where there were potential conflicts and adjust that in the design process,” Gustafson said.

The open house will also include a historical display highlighting Brandon School Division buildings.

“For some, it’ll be a walk down memory lane on some of the older buildings,” Gustafson said.

School board trustees will also be present at the session.

The new Brookwood South school is part of a provincial initiative that will deliver four K-8 schools using a shared design model that integrates child-care facilities.

The school will initially accommodate 675 students, with room to expand capacity to 800 students in the future. It will also include a 104-seat child-care centre offering 24 infant spaces and 80 preschool spaces.

It will feature a gymnasium, library, music room, band room, industrial arts space, home economics area, multipurpose room and kitchenette, Gustafson said. Shared spaces for before- and after-school care are also planned.

“It’s a very nice-looking building,” he said.

The division said the project is currently in the tendering phase, with final selections expected to take place in June.

Although the target opening date remains September of next year, Gustafson said construction timelines can face challenges.

“Our experience is that there are some factors that could impact the opening of a building,” he said.

Some of them could be possible supply chain delays, labour shortages and weather-related issues, he said.

The new school is expected to provide immediate relief for overcrowding at Meadows School and Linden Lanes School, both of which are currently operating above capacity and using auxiliary spaces.

Gustafson said projected growth in the Brookwood South area is already prompting discussions about possible future expansion.

“We do project there will be a need for an addition soon, just based on our previous projections from the development phases,” he said.

While the current project is limited to a K-8 facility on nearly 10 acres of land, he said, the division has submitted requests in its five-year capital plan for additional high school capacity elsewhere in the city.

Gustafson said the division hopes the open house will allow residents to learn more about the project and ask questions as the development moves forward.

“I do believe that there’s some excitement and there’s some curiosity,” he said. “If nothing else, it’ll be a chance to start to talk about the school.”

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