Hundreds of elementary school students in Richmond will soon have safer classrooms as work begins on a full seismic upgrade at Howard DeBeck Elementary School.

“Today’s groundbreaking means more elementary school students in Richmond are even closer to learning in safer classrooms,” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care. “Our goal is to have all students learning in safe and supportive classrooms throughout B.C. Today’s work means we’re one step closer to reaching that goal.”

The seismic upgrade, for which the Province is providing as much as $20.7 million, will provide more than 350 students as well as staff with safer places to learn and work for many years to come. Howard DeBeck Elementary School was originally constructed in 1991 with an addition to the school in 2000.

With a phased construction approach, the entire school community will be kept together and continue learning on site while most of the work is completed. The project is expected to be finished and ready to welcome students and staff in fall of 2025.

“This project will help meet the needs of our growing school district by providing safe, modern learning environments for our students,” says Henry Yao, MLA for Richmond South Centre. “I’m proud our government is continuing to make investments in protecting students in our Richmond community.”

Over the past five years, the provincial government has provided more than $142.9 million for 12 seismic upgrades and partial seismic replacement projects in the Richmond School District. This includes James Whiteside Elementary and William Bridge Elementary, which are providing nearly 5,000 students with safe places to learn.

“In collaboration with the provincial government, we are making continuous progress in enhancing safety across our district,” said Heather Larson, board chair of the Richmond School District. “We’re dedicated to working together ensuring that our schools remain secure environments for all students and staff.”

Since September 2017, the B.C. government has provided more than $4 billion for new and improved schools as well as land purchases for future schools throughout the province. This has resulted in 25,000 new student spaces and 35,000 seismically safe seats at B.C. schools.

Learn More:

To learn about the Richmond School District, visit: https://www.sd38.bc.ca  

For more information about major public school capital projects underway, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/capital/major-capital-projects