Students in the Richmond School District will benefit from over $2.1 million in provincial funding for school upgrade projects, classroom supplies and a new school bus, MLA John Yap announced today on behalf of Education Minister Mike Bernier.

The district will extend the life of Steveston London Secondary and McNair Secondary schools with $919,910 in School Enhancement Program funding to make boiler and lighting upgrades. Every school district will receive a portion of this year’s $53-million investment, supporting 223 projects.

Under the new Student Learning Grant, the district will receive over $1 million to purchase classroom equipment and supplies such as textbooks, lab equipment and art supplies. The district will begin back-to-school planning with parents and teachers now to determine how best to use the one-time funding to reduce costs for parents and help teachers deliver B.C.’s new curriculum. This one-time grant is providing school districts with a total of $27.4 million.

Richmond Secondary in the district will become more energy efficient this year thanks to $160,000 to upgrade their direct digital control system under the provincial Carbon Neutral Capital Program. This upgrade will help the school save money. This year government is investing over $5 million to support 23 projects in 15 districts under the program.

Students in the district will also benefit from a new 24-passenger school bus, thanks to $89,962 in School Bus Replacement Program funding. This year government is investing a total of $9.4 million to purchase about 71 new or replacement buses in 25 districts under the program.

As a result of B.C.’s strong economy and balanced budget, the Government of British Columbia is able to support record funding increases for students and B.C.’s education system. Budget 2017 commits an additional $740 million in operating funds over the next three years. Combined with $400 million in previously announced budget increases, this means an additional $1.1 billion in funding will benefit the K-12 system over the next three years. In addition, Budget 2017 supports $2 billion in capital spending to upgrade or build new schools over the next three years. 

Quotes:

John Yap, MLA for Richmond-Steveston –

“Maintaining our current educational assets is incredibly important. The $919,910 allocated to Steveston London and McNair secondary schools under the School Enhancement Program will help ensure that these schools are operating at their best for a long time in the future.”

Teresa Wat, MLA for Richmond Centre –

“Setting our children up for success begins with quality education. Our balanced budget has allowed us to make significant investments, like the $2.1 million that is going towards SD38 to control supply costs and improve infrastructure.”

Linda Reid, MLA for Richmond East –

“Getting your kids out the door and off to school every morning can be a feat! A new 24-passenger school bus in our community will help make hectic mornings a little easier for parents and students.”

Quick Facts:

• In total, government is investing $95 million under these programs to ensure students have the services, environment and tools they need to succeed. Every school district in B.C. will receive a portion of this funding.
• Including today’s announcement, government has invested a total of $153 million under the School Enhancement Program since it was launched in 2014. In total, almost 623 school improvement projects have been approved under the program.
• The Student Learning Grant provides one-time funding to help schools and teachers with the cost of classroom tools and equipment to support B.C.’s new curriculum. Of the $29.4-million grant, school districts are receiving a total of $27.4 million and independent schools are receiving $2 million.
• Each year, government spends about $5 million in Carbon Neutral Capital Program funding for school projects that cut greenhouse gas emissions.
• Each year, government provides about $10 million in School Bus Replacement Program funding to help school districts purchase new and replacement school buses to ensure students have access to safe and reliable transportation.

Learn More:

Student Learning Grant: http://ow.ly/ibEm309kJbQ

Carbon Neutral Capital Program: http://ow.ly/7rfi309kMdZ

School Capital Planning: http://ow.ly/slzM309kJwS

B.C.’s new curriculum: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/