(Image Credit: GPPSD.)

By Curtis Galbraith

Schools

New school in the Kensington neighbourhood tops wish list for GPPSD

Mar 31, 2026 | 2:54 PM

The Grande Prairie Public School Division says that a new Kindergarten to Grade 8 school in the Kensington area is the Number 1 priority in its new capital plan.

The 2027-2030 Capital Plan Submission that will be sent to the province lists a 200-student addition for Charles Spencer High School and a Kindergarten to Grade 8 replacement for Crystal Park School as the second and third priorities. 

A report prepared by division staff and presented to the Mar. 24 board meeting says the division would like to see the Kensington school open in Sept. of 2029. The estimated cost is $30 million. It would have room for 750 students.

The wish list also says the Charles Spencer addition would open in Sept. of 2028 and cost $6.3 million.

The plan would be to open the new Crystal Park School in 2031. It would hold 680 students and cost an estimated $37,700,000.

“Each year, our Board takes a data‑informed look at where our division is growing and where our facilities need support. Identifying capital priorities is essential because it ensures we’re planning responsibly for the future and advocating for the learning spaces our students deserve. It’s a process that keeps us focused on building a stronger public education system for years to come,” says board chair Joan Nellis in a statement to EverythingGP.

The statement also says that the plan “outlines the division’s highest priority requests for new schools, major modernizations, replacements, and significant additions.”

The division says it is in the process of selecting an architect for the planned expansion at the Comp.

Construction on the three-storey addition would start in 2027. It would have room for 450 students.

“We’re excited to move forward with the expansion of the Composite High School. Selecting the design architect is an important milestone, and we’re hoping that once the design is complete and we receive funding approval for construction, we can move ahead, having shovels in the ground by spring 2027. This three‑story addition will create learning space for 450 more students, which is a significant investment in our community’s future and a reflection of the growing demand for high‑quality public education in Grande Prairie,” adds Nellis in that same statement.