Ground broken for new elementary school in west Lethbridge as enrolment increases

Ground has been broken for a new elementary school on Lethbridge's west side, which is meant to provide space for more than 400 students.

LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. — The construction of a new K-6 school on Lethbridge’s west side has begun.

The Holy Spirit Catholic School Division broke ground on the new project in the Crossings neighbourhood Wednesday morning.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Carmen Mombourquette, chair of the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division’s board of trustees.

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The new space will be home to more than 400 students, helping alleviate pressures on both Father Leonard Van Tighem (FLVT) and St. Patrick Fine Arts Elementary School.

“It is going to make a tremendous difference just to take the schools back away from boiling point to simmering point,” said Mombourquette.

“But we’re going to have to move with another construction quickly.

With the rapid growth of west Lethbridge, an area home to more than 44,000 people, the division says the new space has been needed for years.

More than 5,400 students are currently enrolled in the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division, with the division seeing a 4.35 per cent increase at the start of this school year.

“Recognizing that it’s time to put another elementary school in this part of the city of Lethbridge is truly tremendous,” explained Mombourquette, adding the new school will be a gathering place for students and their families.

The $18 million project, funded through taxpayers and the Alberta Government, will feature a range of amenities, although not yet disclosed, and utilize the current playground and green space already on site.

“I know all new modernizations and new school builds in Alberta are built to support growth and built to support the innovative and exciting new ways students are learning, so this school will be no different,” said Chantel Axani, superintendent of the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division.

“We need this space; we need this school. This is a beautiful area of Lethbridge, and we are very excited to be able to open the doors for our K-6 and in close proximity to our high school.”

The division is currently undergoing a boundary review to determine if students will go to the new school or continue at FLVT.

Axani says nothing has been finalized to date but hopes to have the results by the end of the school year.

The new school is expected to be open in August 2026.

“This will provide a home for children to learn for probably the next 80 years, so it’s a pretty small investment for a pretty major impact it’ll have in the lives of children in this part of the city,” said Mombourquette.

A name for the school has not yet been released.