The Saskatoon Public School Division is looking at Optimist Park as a future location for a consolidated school, but some residents of the area are opposed to the idea.

On Monday, city council granted the school division to investigate green space in Optimist Park for a new centralized school that would combine students from Princess Alexandra, King George and Pleasant Hill schools.

Adam Pollock spoke at city council as a representative of the Pleasant Hill Community Association. He says residents see this as an opportunity to better their communities, but the location will dictate how much of a positive impact the project will have. He says the Optimist Park location will reduce green space and not reduce undesirable brown fields in the community.

While city council did motion for the study to begin they did add motions for administration to engage the school division in examining options of other vacant or underutilized land, and to report back to the appropriate committee about civic resources that could also be potential sites.

Pollock recommended the Saskatoon Public School Division instead look at “parcel p” land, next to St. Mary’s Wellness and Education Centre as a alternative site for the school.

Deputy Director with SPSD, Brent Hills was asked by city council if other locations were being considered to prevent the reduction of green space in the community. He says they are open to options, but are concerned with the timing of the decision as they are on a tight timeline for a potential build and opening of a school.

The original option, which could still happen, was for all three schools to be consolidated at the current Princess Alexandra site through expansion and renovations. The school division plans to have the validation study completed on the proposed sites by April.