Expansions provide more spaces for Surrey students
Two Surrey secondary schools will build additions to provide space for more than 1,000 students, helping accommodate recent growth in the community.
“In the past two years, a record number of people moved to B.C. and many chose to make Surrey their home. We are committed to building new schools and expansions for families in fast-growing communities like Surrey, as we make up for years where the previous government was not opening new schools,” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care. “Today, over 11,000 new student seats are built or underway, creating hundreds of new classrooms for kids with more funding on the way.”
Tamanawis Secondary will get a new addition, making space for 575 more students in 23 new classrooms. The expansion at Guildford Park Secondary will add space for 450 students in 18 new classrooms.
Both additions will include neighbourhood learning centres that could be used for child care and other local programs that benefit children, their families and the neighbouring communities. Designs for the additions incorporated greenhouse-gas-reduction measures.
“Surrey is growing at such a rapid pace that many schools across our district have been operating well over capacity,” said Laurie Larsen, chair, Surrey Board of Education. “We’ve been utilizing portables as a short-term solution to keep students in their neighbourhood schools, but in recent years, this, too, has been challenging. This new funding will allow two of our schools to expand, providing both school communities with increased capacity and optimal learning environments where students can continue to thrive and excel.”
Students are also learning in new classrooms in recently opened additions at Morgan Elementary and White Rock Elementary. Those additions created space for 400 more students within the district, adding eight classrooms to each school.
Since September 2017, the Government of B.C. has invested more than $640 million in Surrey for major capital projects, such as school upgrades, land purchases, school expansions and new school construction. From 2001-02 to 2016-17, the Province invested approximately $540 million in major capital projects in the Surrey School District, funding new schools and expansions to help address enrolment growth in Surrey.
Quotes:
Harry Bains, MLA for Surrey-Newton –
“The student population at Tamanawis has increased tremendously since it opened 30 years ago. Expanding the school will help ensure a better learning environment where every student can reach their full potential.”
Gary Begg, MLA for Surrey-Guilford –
“Students can learn effectively only if their school is adequately maintained and upgraded. We are putting students first by investing in an expansion at Guildford Park, which will benefit hundreds of Surrey students.”
Quick Facts:
- The Province is contributing $52 million and the school district is providing $4.5 million for the Tamanawis Secondary addition.
- Guildford Park Secondary is receiving $59.5 million from the Province, with another $5.36 million from the school district.
- The addition to Morgan Elementary cost approximately $10.3 million and the addition to White Rock Elementary cost $7.6 million.
- These expansion projects build on a 500-seat addition to Kwantlen Park Secondary that was recently funded, as well as the 250-seat expansion at Sunnyside Elementary that opened this year.