The new F.H. Collins Secondary School won't be ready until August 2015 — two years later than the Yukon government promised during a groundbreaking ceremony earlier this fall.

Pamela Hine, the deputy minister of education, told a news conference this morning the

delay is due to four main reasons.

School designs weren't delivered to the government until mid-October, several months later than expected.

The existing gymnasium is needed for the pending Arctic Winter Games, so wouldn't have been ready for demolition until April 2012.

She also said the "complexity” of the construction of the new gym over the old in is a reason for the school's delay.

Hine listed incorporating community feedback into the designs as well as figuring out if geothermal is the best heating source as other reasons for the delay.

The government will issue the construction tender in the spring of 2013 (instead of next spring) and construction time will be stretched from 18 to 24 months.

"The updated construction schedule ensures that (the) Yukon government has adequate time to properly review the designs and takes into account all the objectives and input from both the secondary school programming review committee and the building advisory committee,” said Hine.

She said the main point she wants to emphasize is the government is committed to the project.

Cynthia Tucker, assistant deputy minister of the Department of Highways and Public Works' Property Management Division, said the old schedule gave no allowances for construction problems.

When the designs were delivered, it was recommended that the construction period be lengthened because of the complexity and magnitude of the school designs, Tucker explained.

It's still up in the air as to whether the school will use geothermal heating.

Tucker said a geothermal project of this magnitude has never been completed North of 60.

It is being built into the technical design right now, but the government either has to work out an agreement with the city or go through a Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assesment Board (YESAB) process, which could take up to two years.

"Consultants have told us it is in an ideal location with perfect water temperatures (for geothermal),” said Tucker.

The $50-million-plus budget is not expected to change with the school delay.

Scott Kent, the new Minister of Education, told the Star this morning officials have to make sure the school which is built is the school everyone has envisioned, while at the same time have sound fiscal management.

"We want to get this thing right,” he said.

He said the government had this fall's ground-breaking ceremony and promised the school would be finished in 2013 because that's the information officials had at the time.

But Darius Elias, the interim Liberal leader, called it "electioneering”.

"I'm incredibly disappointed for the public and parents engaged and with such high expectations,” he told the Star this morning.

Elias said the Yukon Party "promised the world” and then, soon after being re-elected, announced the two-year delay.

"Their reasoning is not satisfactory to me,” he continued.

"This type of electioneering, when there's a huge commitment, is not right. That's what it looks like to me.”

Elias said he hopes this dely will give the government time to change its mind about replacing the trades wing.

Current plans show that wing is the only part of the school that won't be replaced.

The existing school opened in 1963.