Education and Child Care
With three elementary school expansion projects now complete and construction underway on a new secondary school in the Clayton North area, 380 new seats are ready for Surrey students and 1,500 more are on the way.
MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale, Stephanie Cadieux, and MLA for Surrey-Tynehead, Amrik Virk, were joined by the Surrey board of education, Surrey school district (SD 36) staff, teachers, parents and students at Adams Road Elementary to make the announcement today on behalf of Education Minister Mike Bernier.
Sixteen classrooms were added through the expansion projects at Adams Road, Morgan, and Rosemary Heights elementary schools to address the need for more student space due to growing enrolment.
The $5.6-million Adams Road Elementary project includes a new two-storey building with 10 classrooms that can accommodate 40 additional kindergarten and 200 elementary students. The addition has a central open space on each floor for collaborative learning and lots of natural light. As a result of this project, 285 students have been moved from the onsite portables and into the new classrooms.
The $2.3-million Morgan Elementary project includes four new classrooms that can accommodate 100 elementary students. The $1.5-million Rosemary Heights Elementary project includes two classrooms that can accommodate 40 kindergarten students.
In addition, work is underway on the new Salish Secondary school in the Clayton North area, formerly called Clayton North Secondary. The new school will feature state-of-the-art learning spaces to support B.C.’s new curriculum. The new secondary will hold 1,500 grade 8-12 students, which will help alleviate enrolment pressures − particularly at Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary. The new school is expected to be open and ready for students in fall 2018.
The total budget for the four school projects is $64.6 million, including $55.2 million for the Salish secondary and $9.4 million for the three additions. The Province contributed $45.6 million toward the projects and the Surrey school district contributed $19 million.
(flickr.com) Quotes:
Stephanie Cadieux, MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale –
“I’m thrilled to see these important and necessary expansion projects complete and work underway for the new secondary in the Clayton North area. As a result, 380 new seats have been created for our community’s young learners and 1,500 are on the way. We will continue to work with the Surrey school district to create more school spaces in Surrey.”
Shawn Wilson, chairperson, Surrey board of education –
“I’m sure it is a great relief for the many students and staff working in portables for several years to be able to start this school year in a school classroom, and I can tell you our board shares in your relief and joy. Trustees now look forward to continuing the work and progress in moving more students into new schools and additions.”
Quick Facts:
- Since 2013-14, almost 7,000 new student spaces have been opened or approved in Surrey.
- Since 2001, the Surrey school district has seen an 18% increase in student enrolment, from 58,648 students to an estimated 69,446 in 2015-16.
- Since 2001, government has invested more than $337 million for 55 capital and seismic projects, and 12 site acquisitions in Surrey.
- This announcement builds on the recent investment of nearly $100 million to fund six priority projects in Surrey.
- In 2014, government completed Goldstone Park and Katzie Elementary schools, and additions to Fraser Heights and Panorama Ridge Secondary. These projects totalled $44.2 million and created 1,160 spaces for elementary and 500 secondary spaces in Surrey.
- Budget 2016 provides $1.7 billion over three years to replace aging facilities, build more student spaces in growing communities, and improve seismic safety.
(flickr.com) Learn More:
Surrey school district: www.surreyschools.ca
BC’s new curriculum: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/
For high-resolution images of the new Salish Secondary: https://flic.kr/p/M3GKoB
