Saskatchewan Joint-Use Schools Project #1

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Opportunity Saskatchewan’s economy and population have experienced unprecedented growth over the past several years, placing increased pressure on the public education system. In response, the Saskatchewan Government built 18 new publicly owned and operated elementary schools on joint-use sites in four of the province’s fastest growing regions. Each joint-use site has two schools—one public and one Catholic—offering educational programming for children ranging from pre-kindergarten to grade 8. Procurement for the schools began on July 31, 2014 when the Government announced that it would proceed using a P3 model to construct the schools concurrently. On June 15, 2014 the government announced Joint-Use Mutual Partnership as the preferred proponent team for both projects and two months later it signed two separate project agreements with the Consortia. Innovations Two parallel competitive procurement processes were conducted allowing the government to work towards an ambitious September 2017 timeline—nine years sooner than would have been possible with a traditional approach. Numerous meetings and events were conducted early in the design review process resulting in a collaborative process that ensured the needs of the individual schools and communities were met. A life-cycle contract will ensure that the schools remain in excellent condition for the duration of the contract until they are handed back to the province. Results The project resulted in six schools on three sites in Regina creating space for 3,300 students. Joint-Use Schools Project 1 will see 270 childcare spaces created that will be operated by a third party. Design features include flexible layouts and a variety of learning spaces ranging in size and configuration; smaller learning communities of similar age group students allowing for project based learning and teacher collaboration; daylight in al learning areas; and support of 21st century learning. Joint use schools have three distinct designs based on the communities they are in. Joint-use schools between school divisions provide options for shared programming opportunities for students. “Financial analysis, conducted by external experts, demonstrated that a P3 model will deliver the best value for Saskatchewan taxpayers. Our industry consultations indicate there is local and national interest in the projects and this competition will help drive innovation and savings.” - Gordon Wyant, Minister responsible for SaskBuilds

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