More student seats are on the way for families in the Southeast Kootenay School District with funding approved for a new elementary school.

“Our government is continuing to invest in schools as more cities like Fernie welcome new students to their classrooms,” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care. “A new elementary school will provide the support and space this growing community needs and will benefit students and families for many years to come.”

The new school will have room for nearly 300 students from kindergarten to Grade 7, with more than $33 million in funding from the provincial government and $200,000 from the school district. A learning centre will be included, providing a Indigenous education space and a warming kitchen to support community programs and services. A child care centre may also be included to provide more benefits to the broader community.

With funding approved, the project can proceed to the design stage. The new school will be built to include greenhouse gas reduction measures that will set the building’s emissions at least 60% lower than the current LEED gold standards.

“We are excited to receive approval for a new elementary school in Fernie,” said Doug McPhee, board chair, Southeast Kootenay School District. “This investment addresses the growing population in this community and the efforts of district staff, whose dedication has been pivotal in achieving this milestone. We look forward to a safe, positive and modern learning space for students and staff and to the further engagement required to address the recent loss of a facility to fire.”

The school is expected to be ready for students by 2027 and is one of many projects underway as part of the provincial government’s plan to build more schools in B.C.

Government has provided almost $12 million for school infrastructure projects in the Southeast Kootenay School District over the past seven years. This includes the site purchase for the new school and the four-classroom addition at Isabella Dicken Elementary school, which is providing 80 more students with a quality place to learn.

Since September 2017, the B.C. government has approved $5.1 billion for new and improved schools, and land purchases for schools. This has resulted in more than 35,000 new student spaces and almost 37,000 seismically safe seats at B.C. schools.

To plan for growth, Budget 2024 has the ministry’s highest capital budget of $3.75 billion going toward building the education infrastructure that people in B.C. need.

Learn More:

To learn about the Southeast Kootenay School District, visit: Southeast Kootenay - Southeast Kootenay (sd5.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