As students settle in at the new, 600-seat addition at Royal Bay Secondary school this month, even more is being done to meet the growing demand for classroom space in the area.

The Government of B.C. has provided the Sooke School District with $8.3 million to purchase property for a new elementary school in the Royal Bay development, between Latoria Boulevard and Metchosin Road. The Sooke School District is providing an additional $1.2 million. This is the fifth school site purchase in the district funded by the Province in the last three years.

“Students deserve to learn in positive, engaging and inspiring classrooms, just as they are now at the new addition at Royal Bay Secondary school,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Education. “Our government has made great progress investing in the future of schools in the Sooke School District, and we’re taking another great step forward with a new school site that will serve children in Royal Bay for generations to come.”

With the property acquired, the Ministry of Education will work with the Sooke School District to find the best path forward to building a new elementary school on the site. This will provide local students with a modern learning environment and a shorter commute, and free up more student spaces at nearby schools.

“This is an exciting time for families in Royal Bay and all of the Westshore, as we continue building and expanding the schools our community needs,” said Mitzi Dean, MLA for Esquimalt-Metchosin. “I can’t wait to see students walking through the doors of a brand-new elementary school in Royal Bay.”

This property purchase is among the eight school capital projects that the Province has funded in the past three years in the Sooke School District. This includes the $29.9-million addition that opened for Royal Bay Secondary students last week, a new elementary school, a new middle school and five site purchases, for a total of $187 million.

“The SD62 Board of Education would like to thank the provincial government for the collaborative partnership that has led to acquiring a school site in this growing community,” said Ravi Parmar, board chair, Sooke School District Board of Education. “We’re excited about the prospect of one day, in the near future, building a school for the hundreds of families that call Royal Bay home.”

The Government of B.C. continues to make progress to provide students with improved learning environments, no matter where they live.

Since September 2017, the Province has provided over $2 billion for school capital projects, including adding 1,800 new student seats in the Sooke School District and 13,080 new student seats at 33 new or expanded schools provincewide.

To continue this momentum, Budget 2020 includes a record $2.8 billion for school capital investments throughout B.C.

Quick Facts:

• The following school capital investments have been made in the Sooke School District since September 2017:
  • West Langford (site purchase for two new schools)
  • Royal Bay Secondary (600-seat addition)
  • Skirt Mountain (site purchase)
  • Pexsisen Elementary school (500-seat new school)
  • Centre Mountain Lellum Middle school (700-seat new school)
  • North Langford (site purchase for new school)
  • South Langford (site purchase for new school)
  • Royal Bay (site purchase for new school)