The NDP raised concerns about the new F.H. Collins Secondary School Thursday in the legislature.

Education critic Jim Tredger questioned the capacity of the planned school, suggesting students will be crammed in like "sardines.”

"The school we are buying off the shelf from Alberta is 2,500 square metres smaller than the previously tendered design,” he said.

The new F.H. Collins design is based on the Mother Margaret Mary Catholic School in Edmonton.

Mother Margaret Mary is occupied by 430 students, while F.H., as of Oct. 31, has 631 students, he pointed out.

"There are increasing concerns that the Yukon Party's latest redesign of the latest redesign of F.H. Collins will be inadequate to meet the curriculum and programming needs of students at F.H. Collins,” he said.

Education Minister Elaine Taylor said the tendered school design for the new F.H. Collins has a capacity of 750, as does the Mother Margaret Mary school, regardless of its enrolment numbers.

Tredger continued along the same line of questioning, raising concerns about the smaller gym in the new tender.

The former principal said the new gym can be divided in two, but noted that F.H. often has three concurrent gym classes with a total of 75 students.

The government didn't respond to his concerns about what the third class would do during that period.

Moving away from space concerns, Tredger asked why the government hadn't met with parents, teachers, and students to hear their concerns about the new design.

Taylor noted the extensive consultation with the building advisory committee during the design of the original replacement school.

"The most important features from the building advisory committee, developed through consultations, have actually been adapted to this particular design,” she said.

"Examples of this include flexible learning spaces, of which I might add there are actually seven additional learning spaces than in the original F.H. Collins first initial concept.

"It also includes a school-wide wireless network, a fitness studio, improved First Nation program areas, and an industrial kitchen and food service area which also develops into a multipurpose common area.”

Tredger noted the building advisory committee has not met for two years.

He asked the minister if she would meet with staff, parents, and students to gather their input on the latest design tender through a public forum.

Taylor made no such commitment.

The current tender for the school will now close Jan. 10, after the government extended the deadline from Dec. 12 following the addition of a 119-addendum to the tender.

The government announced last March it was scrapping the original F.H. Collins design because it came in too far over-budget, opting instead for a pre-designed model out of Alberta.

The school is expected to be completed in the 2015/2016 school year.