Jason Neville, director of education at the Lloydminster Public School Division, says the expansion project at Lloydminster Comprehensive High School is on schedule as all schools are set to reopen on Sept. 5. Supplied Photo
Don’t blink or you might miss the first day of school at the Lloydminster Public School Division (LPSD).
Things move quickly at LPSD with football practices already underway at Lloydminster Comprehensive High School and staff undergoing orientation before classes resume on Sept. 5.
“Volleyball and golf, I think they go on the very first day of school,” said LPSD director of education Jason Neville last Thursday.
“Definitely, extracurriculars will be something students will be going into right away.”
Neville says he’s ready to get back at it too after spending his summer vacation visiting relatives in Grande Prairie and chilling out to recharge his batteries.
“I can’t wait for the students to come actually. It seems like you plan for so long. It will just be nice when students will be walking through the doors,” he said.
Neville says he likes to “feel the buzz” on the first day of school with no staff meetings that day.
“I just like to be around and get to every school and welcome staff and students back,” he said.
Neville is not expecting much concern over a new parental inclusion and consent policy for all Saskatchewan schools, focused on gender identity.
Under the new policy announced by Saskatchewan Education Minister Dustin Duncan on Aug. 22, schools need parental consent when students under 16 want to change their names or pronouns.
“We have our processes in our building and we involve parents whenever we can, so I don’t see it being a huge piece for us at all,” he said.
“We just try to make sure every student feels welcome and safe in our building. With the new guidelines, maybe there’s a few things we have to do, but we still keep that focus.”
On Aug. 29, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announced Duncan will no longer be the province’s education minister as he’ll be moving to several new portfolios. He has been named the Minister of the Crown Investments Corporation, the Minister responsible for the Public Service Commission, and the Minister responsible for all of the major Crown corporations.
When schools reopen, Neville expects enrolment at LPSD to be slightly higher than last year with Kindergarten numbers up in the air until the first day.
“We’re anticipating a slight increase, but we’ll know when they start coming through the door,” he said.
“We had a big increase last year. It would be great for another big increase, but I’m anticipating it should slow down a little bit.”
LPSD will also welcome several new teachers. Neville estimates about 15 to 20 new teachers and practicum teachers attended an orientation session one-day last week.
He also met with vice-principals and principals to do some planning and bring everyone up to speed on the ongoing expansion at the Comp with mid-November being a key milestone in the $28.8 million project.
“That’s the anticipated date it will be handed over to us and then there will be a whole bunch of pieces we have to do inside,” said Neville.
He expects students will be able to use the new areas after the Christmas break.
The expansion will accommodate about 330 Grade 9 students in the 2024-25 school year.
It will also house 17 classrooms, a new home economics lab and the Synergy Place gym which will cover 1,300 square metres.
“The field house is looking fabulous. The basketball standards have been installed. It’s looking really good, it’s so huge,” said Neville.
He is also stoked about the quick growth of the division’s new student academies.
“Our sport and our art academy, they are busting at the seams with enrolment in our art academy so we added a second group there,” said Neville.
“Last year was our first year and it’s doubled going into this year. So that’s huge for us.”
