WELCOME!

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1. Why is GVRA's Approval conditional? Does that mean it's not approved?

Charter approvals are conditional to begin with as there are always key requirements to meet between the first stage of approval and the opening of a school. Requirements include hiring a Superintendent and Secretary-Treasurer in addition to finding the right teachers for the job! Make no mistake, Conditional Approval is a key victory that validates the hope of opening a public charter school.

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2. What is left to do for opening Gwynne Valley Rural Academy?

Much has been accomplished, and there is also plenty left to do. We are excited to have some incredibly capable people outside of our organization that are assisting in bringing everything together. We are also looking forward to upcoming Community Consultations to make plans come together even faster. Don't worry, the GVREA will provide important updates as they happen. Please subscribe to our mailing list; or even better, fill out a Pre-Registration Form for your children if you haven't already!

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3. What do I need to do to register my children at GVRA?

We ask parents of prospective GVRA students to complete a Pre-Registration Form and submit it to info@growwithgwynnevalley.ca, or mail to GVREA, General Delivery Gwynne, AB T0C 1Z0. Any children listed in a "Declaration of Intent" submitted prior to February 28 retain priority enrollment in GVRA, but limited space is still available in all Grades (currently K–9 for our opening year). Pre-Registering at GVRA does not affect another registration in a school your child is currently attending. It is okay to keep students registered elsewhere until Final Approval is given by the Education Minister to open GVRA in September 2024.

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4. How did the Alberta Provincial Election potentially affect Final Approval?

After gaining Conditional Approval in under 60 days (a feat in itself!), there was a significant pause in progress with government officials which greatly affected timelines for opening GVRA in 2023. While the GVREA gained some support from Alberta Education to consider Approval for 2023 (instead of 2024), it was simply too much in too little time. Part of being successful in the process of opening a public charter school is understanding 

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5. What is the status of the Gwynne School building?

Alberta Infrastructure has conducted an independent appraisal of the Gwynne School building. The GVREA is awaiting the results of this appraisal and any subsequent determinations that the Education, Capital and Infrastructure departments will make or have made.

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As of August 15: The WRPS Board of Trustees has voted to permanently close Gwynne School and deem it Surplus to the needs of the division. Presently, assessments have taken place to meet disposition requirements. The GVREA Administration has been working with the Alberta Government and Education to receive Ministerial action for the transfer of the Gwynne School facility to GVRA.

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Previously: Permanent Closure, Disposition of Real Property, and the Transfer of Gwynne School are key requirements that are being carefully navigated at this time. On April 26, 2023 [at a WRPS] Regular Board Meeting, resolution #20230426,1003 was passed. The [WRPS] Board motion engages [WRPS] Policy 15, consideration of the permanent closure of Gwynne School. We thank everyone who recently submitted a letter to WRPS as part of a public consultation.