A $15.2-million project agreement was signed today between the Ministry of Education and the Vancouver school board, which paves the way for the seismic replacement of L'École Bilingue Elementary.

This project is part of the Province's continuing commitment to the Seismic Mitigation Program and to ensuring student safety. The new school will have capacity for 485 kindergarten-to-Grade 7 students and will feature a Neighbourhood Learning Centre comprised of a musical/choral specialty room, performance space and a child-care facility.

L'École Bilingue is one of three French Immersion-only schools in the Vancouver school district and serves a large catchment area. In addition to teachers, nearly all staff members speak French, including the principal, vice-principal, administrative assistant and counsellor.

As part of the project agreement, $12 million is being provided for the new school, while $3.2 million is being invested to create temporary accommodations on the South Hill Education Centre property for students while construction on the new school is underway.

Construction on the new school is expected to start in the fall of 2013 and be completed in August 2015. About 90 jobs will be created during construction.

Quotes:

Don McRae, Minister of Education -

"As we continue to upgrade and replace Vancouver schools, I am pleased to see that students from L'École Bilingue will have a quiet, safe space to study in while this important work is underway."

Patti Bacchus, Vancouver school district board chair -

"We are pleased to be moving forward with this major capital project that will ensure future generations of French Immersion students have a seismically safe school that is designed to provide an outstanding learning environment."

(flickr.com)

• Since 2001, 40 capital and seismic projects worth more than $188 million have been completed in the Vancouver school district. In addition, the Province invested more than $6.9 million for additional space for full-day kindergarten.

• Since 2001, government has spent more than $840 million on seismic upgrading of schools in 37 districts in B.C.

• French immersion enrolment has increased nearly 55 per cent in the past decade.

• Currently, 47,000 students are enrolled in French immersion in B.C., more than eight per cent of the total number of public school students.

Learn More:

BC's Education Plan: http://www.bcedplan.ca/

L'École Bilingue Elementary: http://lecole-bilingue.vsb.bc.ca/

French Immersion: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/policy/policies/french_immersion.htm

Media Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963