Today, the Board of Trustees of Rocky View Schools (RVS) approved an accommodation plan for Chestermere to address space pressures at schools in the city. The plan includes changes to the grade configuration of East Lake School as well as attendance boundary changes for several communities.

The change to East Lake School’s grade structure adds a second middle school to the city, with the addition of Grades 7-9 in 2025/26.  

“Chestermere, along with the rest of our urban communities, continues to experience growth, which puts pressures on our already at- or over-capacity schools,” said Board Chair, Fiona Gilbert. “This accommodation plan will support ongoing growth in Chestermere while maximizing learning spaces for our students in that community while we wait for new schools to be built.”

The following changes will take effect for September 2025:

• East Lake School will expand to a Kindergarten to Grade 9 school. Currently, East Lake is a Kindergarten to Grade 6 school.
• The Christian and French Immersion programs for Kindergarten to Grade 6 will remain at East Lake. The Christian and French Immersion programs for Grades 7 to 9 will continue to be offered at Chestermere Lake Middle School (CLMS). 
• The communities of Chelsea, Dawson's Landing, Bridgeport commercial, Waterford, Waterford Estates and Paradise Meadows will be redesignated from attending East Lake to Rainbow Creek Elementary School for Kindergarten to Grade 6. Students in these communities will attend CLMS for Grades 7 to 9. 
• The North Acreages area will be redesignated from attending East Lake to Prairie Waters Elementary School for Kindergarten to Grade 6. Students in these communities will attend CLMS for Grades 7 to 9. 
• The Clearwater Park community is designated to attend Rainbow Creek for Kindergarten to Grade 6. Students in these communities will attend CLMS for Grades 7 to 9. 
• Bridgeport North is designated to attend Prairie Waters for Kindergarten to Grade 6. Students in these communities will attend CLMS for Grades 7 to 9. 

Chestermere has experienced sustained population growth, and this trend is expected to continue with more and more people choosing to make this community home, putting pressure on RVS’ schools. Between 2014 – the last time a new RVS school opened in Chestermere – and 2024, the city’s population grew 55 per cent. Four of the five RVS schools in the community are currently full with an overall utilization rate of 94 per cent.

The Board’s decision follows a public engagement which took place in Fall 2024. RVS gathered feedback through a public meeting at Chestermere Lake Middle School on Oct. 22, and the public also provided written feedback through a survey until Nov. 26. Most of the feedback received from the consultation was in support of this change.

“Thank you to everyone who participated in our public engagement. The Board values the public engagement process and the feedback we received as we determined these changes,” Gilbert said. “We recognize today’s decision will be positive news for some families and not welcome for others. We also know that all our schools have wonderful, dedicated staff who will welcome students and support them through these changes.”

Planning will soon be underway to implement these changes, and further communication will be sent to families in the spring.

RVS will continue to advocate for additional school spaces across our division, including in Chestermere, to help meet our growing population’s needs.

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