Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Ms. Lee on June 7, 2006, regarding the education facility plan.
- What is the total cost of the 10-year education facility plan for Yellowknife for years 2005-2015?
The cost of the consulting contract with FSC Architects and Engineers and Matrix Planning to produce the report was $58,636.89.
- What is the total cost paid to establish and administer the Yellowknife Educational Facilities Planning Committee meetings including the fees and expenses paid to the chair of the committee appointed by the Minister?
A contract with the committee chair, Mr. Hal Gerein, is in place from January 2006 to March 2007 for an estimated total cost of $35,000. To date $17,134.93 has been paid to Mr. Gerein.
- Please provide a cop of the report of the Yellowknife Educational Facilities Planning Committee.
Ms. Lee and all other Yellowknife MLAs were provided with a copy of the report on August 11, 2006. Additional copies are available through my office
- Please provide a full and comprehensive explanation of the department's position that 85 percent is optimum school occupancy.
Occupancy or utilization rates are a useful tool for education facility planning and can be used to indicate when an addition to a school might be required. In the event of steady growth in a community, the planning and design of an addition or a new school should begin when the 85 percent mark is reached. If the school age population in a community seems to be declining, however, additional space may not be required. Some judgment is needed in using the 85 percent indicator.
- Please provide a list of all of the schools in the NWT, their enrollment and their capacity as of September 30, 2005. This data should show the number of students in the school; i.e., the Detah students attending school in Yellowknife should be counted in the school they attend, not the Detah school.
Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table a document that lists all of the schools in the NWT showing capacities and enrolments as of September 30, 2005, including an adjusted total including students attending schools outside of their home community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.