A new Burke Mountain elementary school and three school expansions will create 820 new spaces to get more Coquitlam students out of portables.

Since September 2017, the Province has announced 935 new student seats in the Coquitlam School District and 7,430 in other communities throughout British Columbia, with more to come.

“The new Sheffield Avenue elementary school and 390 additional spaces at three other Coquitlam schools are part of our government’s work to deliver better education for every student in B.C.,” said Premier John Horgan. “These new student seats will help provide the positive, engaging and inspiring environments children need to have the best learning experience possible.”

The Government of B.C. is providing $67.6 million to build a new, 430-seat elementary school on Sheffield Avenue in Burke Mountain, as well as expansions at the following schools:

• Dr. Charles Best Secondary, $8.4 million, 150 new seats
• Panorama Heights Elementary, $6.2 million, 90 new seats
• Westwood Elementary, $5.7 million, 150 new seats

The Coquitlam School District is providing an additional $5 million toward the cost of the new Burke Mountain school, which has a total budget of $52.3 million and is expected to be open in 2021. The Westwood Elementary expansion will be complete in 2020, while Panorama Heights’ and Dr. Charles Best Secondary’s expansions are expected to be complete in 2021.

“Enrolment has grown in Coquitlam since 2007, but only one new elementary school was built in the last decade,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Education. “When students are in modern classrooms, not portables, they are more successfully engaged with their studies.”

Currently, nearly 110 portables are in use throughout Coquitlam, and just one new elementary school was built in over a decade. These projects will go a long way in giving students the classroom space they need to make full use of the new curriculum so they can be better prepared for life in B.C.’s growing, sustainable economy.

The Province is supporting students through smaller class sizes, more resources in the classroom and improved learning environments.

In the past two years, government has made record investments in education, including $472 million for new student seats, which eliminate the equivalent of over 300 portables throughout British Columbia. Budget 2019 includes a record $2.7 billion for school capital investments to continue this momentum.

Quotes:

Mike Farnworth, MLA for Port Coquitlam –

“I’m so pleased to see that students at Westwood Elementary will soon benefit from additional classroom space. I know how important this project is to my community, and we have advocated for a long time for this project. It’s great to see that Coquitlam students are benefiting from our government’s record capital investments in new and expanded schools.”

Rick Glumac, MLA for Port Moody-Coquitlam –

“This is terrific news for our growing city. Seven new classrooms at Dr. Charles Best Secondary will give students more room to learn and grow while benefiting from B.C.’s world-class education system.”

Barb Hobson, chair, Coquitlam Board of Education –

“School District 43 (Coquitlam) is very appreciative of the funding to build another elementary school for the families of Burke Mountain. The support of the provincial government in adding school facilities in this fast-growing community shows a real commitment to quality education for all students.”

Quick Facts:

• Since September 2017, the Province has announced over $1.1 billion for school capital projects, including new schools, expansions, seismic upgrades and land purchases for future schools.
• The Coquitlam School District has also received $24.3 million from the Province’s Seismic Mitigation Program to replace Irvine Elementary.