If the debate over the location of a new school in Jasper sounds familiar, that’s because it is.

We’ve been through this already.

After a year of negotiation, both sides seem to be no farther ahead. The school board is entrenched in its call for the bowling green land for a new school, and the town, unhappy with that proposal, is pushing for other options to be explored.

The municipality and school board are both pointing fingers at this point. The school board says it can’t push for a new school until the town gives them an answer about the bowling green lands, while the town says it can’t answer that question until it knows exactly what the school board wants.

Six months ago both sides appeared to be on the same page, but recently a fear over lack of portable classrooms seems to have caused the school board to rethink its plans. The threat of busing the students to Hinton while the new school is being constructed is still on the table, and is being leveraged to push for the bowling green lands. The board appears to be acting with much more urgency, which is either a negotiating technique or a sign they know something the rest of the community does not.

Neither side want to displace the students. School construction will likely disrupt classrooms for two years, with the end result being a new school that will hopefully last 60 years.

Giving up the bowling green lands is not popular within town. In an election year, displacing a popular dog park and green space in exchange for a piece of land designated for educational purposes would not go over well. Nor would botching a deal that would send Jasper students to Hinton for two years while the new school is under construction. The less disruption of classroom time the better. The swap will also likely come at a higher cost, as zoning and land use fees will outweigh portable costs.

Another wrench to throw into the deal is Jasper’s plans to build a cultural centre. The town is in need of a proper stage that can house larger audiences, and help attract more arts and culture to town. This could be incorporated into a new school, however the town hasn’t had such luck in the past. One only needs to look west to Valemount where the high school gym and theatre host a litany of community activities.

 The portable classroom shortage is an unknown. One thing working in Jasper’s favour is the province isn’t expecting to build many new schools in the new future, which theoretically would reduce the need for portables. Usually schools find a way to make portables magically appear right before the beginning of a school year.

It’s unlikely there will be money announced for a new school in Jasper in the next provincial budget, as education funding has taken an enormous hit, and school boards are still reeling after the province took back their reserves.

The current high school has seen its day. But there is no need to rush into a decision that will affect the community for the next 60 years.