Construction has officially commenced on the Saskatoon City Centre School Project, and initiative that will bring a new K-8 school to the children of Riversdale, Pleasant Hill and King George 

Located at 138 Avenue G South, the new elementary school will have the capacity for 400 students, as well as 74 new childcare spaces.

Director of Education for Saskatoon Public Schools Shane Skjervin says the previous closures of Pleasant Hill and Princess Alexander schools have forced all area-students to attend King George School, which is over 100 years old and facing closure due to the need for cost-prohibitive renovations. 

“We knew that there would be enough money to build three new schools in these areas, but the opportunity to build one state-of-the-art facility that amalgamated the three communities was appealing to us, and I think to the community as well.”

He says the new school is five years in the making.

“The project was approved just before the shutdown for Covid. We, as a school division, our board was in the middle of several conversations with potential partners for the project, so that added to a little bit of a delay.”

Expected amenities include a circular structure for all-day sunlight, an outdoor rink and a larger-than-usual gymnasium.

“A larger gym will be just so great for the community. So, not just for the kids at the school, but for community events, as well. We really want this school to be the heart of this community.” 

He says the school will be a modern, state of the art facility that includes several Indigenous cultural aspects and an identity that reflects the neighborhoods that surround it. The total construction cost for the project is $31.3 million. The school has yet to be named, but Skjervin expects that process to be complete by fall. The target opening date is fall of 2027.