A Richmond elementary school will soon have room for 150 more students, as part of the provincial government’s plan to expand schools quicker in growing communities.

“With record population growth, our government continues to invest in schools as more cities like Richmond welcome new students to their classrooms” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care. “Our government is taking action by using innovative solutions like prefabricated designs, which are a faster way to bring the services people need, like schools, to growing communities.”

Recognizing the recent increase of young families living within the Richmond School District, R.C. Talmey Elementary school will have six bright, spacious new classrooms added to the school that will offer comfortable learning environments with their own HVAC systems. All the classrooms will be connected by corridors and students will also have storage for personal belongings.

With $9 million provided by the Province, the new addition is expected to be ready for students by fall 2025. This expansion is in addition to two other elementary schools in Richmond that have prefabricated additions under construction. They are on track to welcome nearly 300 more students this September.

Government has provided more than $174 million for 13 seismic upgrades and partial seismic replacement projects in the Richmond School District over the past seven years. This includes projects at James Whiteside Elementary, William Bridge Elementary and Howard DeBeck Elementary, providing more than 6,000 students with safe places to learn.

“We are thankful for the Province’s investment in our schools as we continue to address the demands of our increasing student population,” said Heather Larson, board chair, Richmond School District. “The additional classrooms at R.C. Talmey Elementary will help us take an important step toward providing the space and facilities our students deserve.”

This announcement is the 16th prefabricated school addition to be announced by the Province in eight months and is one of many new projects on the way that will benefit families throughout B.C. for many years.

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

Budget 2024 includes $3.75 billion for school capital projects over the next three years, including new and expanded schools, seismic upgrades and replacements, and land purchases for schools.

Quick Facts:

• R.C. Talmey Elementary will gain six new classrooms, which will create 150 new student spaces by fall 2025.
• Samuel Brighouse Elementary will gain six new classrooms, which will create 150 new student spaces by fall 2024.
• William Cook Elementary will gain five new classrooms, which will create 125 new student spaces by fall 2024.

Learn More:

To learn more about the Richmond Scool District, visit: https://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