Ms Woo-Paw: Mr. Speaker, government is using different ways to fund its new school buildings, including P3s. I've heard concerns that they are taking a cookie-cutter approach to the design of schools. I'm especially concerned that the government's plan, which includes four new high schools for Calgary, Edmonton, Sherwood Park, and Spruce Grove, will not meet the diverse learning needs of students. My question is for the Minister of Education. Did school boards have any input in the design of the four high schools to ensure that they meet students' needs?

The Speaker: The hon. minister.

Mr. Hancock: Yes, Mr. Speaker. It should be clear that partway through the process we separated out the high schools from the elementary-junior highs. The high schools actually have proceeded on a design-build project. The school boards have been involved with Infrastructure and Education through the design process and have had ample opportunity to ensure that those school designs meet the educational programming and educational needs of the students in their areas.

Ms Woo-Paw: To the same minister: in regard to the ASAP schools how involved are parents and community groups in the design process for the high schools? Does the government have a genuine interest in hearing their input?

Mr. Hancock: Well, Mr. Speaker, again, with respect to the high schools the school boards would have had meetings in their communities with respect to those schools to discuss with the communities what was going into the schools, and they would have had an opportunity through the school boards to get input in that way. This isn't the traditional build process, which would have started through community meetings, et cetera, but there is certainly ample opportunity for communities to be involved.

With respect to the ASAP school projects we do have a standardized school design, which was developed with the input of a number of different groups, but even in that circumstance school boards have had the ability to meet with their communities and to adapt the designs.

The Speaker: The hon. member.

Ms Woo-Paw: Thank you. My final question is this: is the design process based on any research or studies that identify how other groups, key stakeholders, can be involved in the design process of schools? Was it an arbitrary process?

Mr. Hancock: Well, Mr. Speaker, over the last number of years Infrastructure and Education have worked with organizations such as the College of Alberta School Superintendents, the Alberta School Boards Association, the School Business Officials of Alberta, the Council of Educational Facility Planners, school plant officials, and others to develop what we call standard designs for the K to 3, K to 6, and K to 9 schools. Those standard designs are used as a starting point with the school jurisdictions, and the school jurisdictions have had the opportunity to work with those designs so that they enable them to develop the educational opportunities that they want for the students in their area.