375 new student spaces coming to Burnaby
Kitchener Elementary school will have a new school addition with 15 additional classrooms as early as the next school year to help address enrolment growth in Burnaby.
“As British Columbia’s population grows, we are expanding schools to welcome more students and families to modern classrooms,” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care. “Our government will continue to build and improve schools in the Burnaby School District and throughout B.C., and these new additions will serve students for decades to come.”
With 350,000 new people making B.C. their home last year, the Burnaby School District is seeing an increase in young families moving to the community. Through $22.5 million in funding, this custom-made prefabricated addition will open up hundreds of new elementary spaces for Kitchener Elementary, while offering sustainable and energy-efficient designs that align with the Province’s CleanBC targets to meet B.C.’s enhanced energy requirements. The new classrooms are expected to be ready for students as early as the 2024-25 school year.
“I am so excited to announce that Burnaby North students are getting the new classrooms they need,” said Janet Routledge, MLA for Burnaby North. “Students in our community will have a modern, safe place to learn, and this is a positive step to address the growing needs of our community.”
Over the past six years, the Province has invested more than $230 million to expand and seismically upgrade seven schools in the Burnaby School District. This includes the completed seismic upgrades at Seaforth, Armstrong and Parkcrest elementary schools that opened last year, providing more than 1,300 additional seismically safe seats. Other projects include the seismic replacement of Burnaby North Secondary and nine other projects that are now completed.
“This is a welcome and important investment. Our school district is facing rapid growth, and one of the fastest growing areas is North Burnaby,” said Bill Brassington, chair, Burnaby Board of Education. “Ensuring children have appropriate and safe spaces to learn is a priority we share with the Ministry of Education and Child Care. We’re pleased to work with them on this innovative school expansion.”
Since September 2017, government has provided more than $4 billion for new and improved schools and land purchases for future schools throughout the province, resulting in 25,000 new student spaces and 35,000 seismically safe seats in B.C. schools.
Budget 2023 includes $3.4 billion for school capital projects over the next three years, including new and expanded schools, seismic upgrades and replacements, and land purchases for future schools.
Learn More:
For information about SD41, visit: http://www.sd41.bc.ca
For 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
To learn about B.C.’s Seismic Mitigation Program, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/capital/seismic-mitigation