Thousands of new student spaces coming to Surrey

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Premier Christy Clark has announced the creation of an additional 2,700 student spaces in Surrey.

The $99.5-million announcement includes a new Grandview Heights Secondary School and Clayton North Elementary School. Construction of both schools are expected to begin next year.

The elementary school, which will have room for 605 students, is expected to be finished by the end of 2019. The secondary school will have space for 1,500 students and is projected to be ready for students by the end of 2020.

Up to 600 new student seats are expected to be created with “rapid expansion” projects at Sullivan, Woodward Hill and Panorama Park elementary schools. That work is set to start this summer and should be done by the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year.

Clark says she understands if people feel this announcement should have come sooner, but explains it’s a process.

“The zoning, the work with the private land owner — in most cases, the developer — the city, the school district and the government have to line up better. Those are some of the discussions that we’re having.”

Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner calls this a significant step forward.

There has been an issue of over-crowded schools in her city for awhile now. But Hepner doesn’t think this announcement overdue, saying these things take time.

“The province is trying to balance both the growth and the infrastructure around this province. But I’m really pleased to see the recognition that fast-growing communities certainly need a different kind of attention.”

The province will also buy land for a future elementary school in Port Kells.

Victoria is contributing $74.2 million for these projects; the Surrey school district is paying for the remaining $25.3 million.

NDP says it’s not enough

The opposition feels this new funding doesn’t go far enough.

In the estimation of NDP education critic Rob Fleming, these 2,700 new spaces will only account for about a third of the spots that will actually be needed.

And he says this dragging of feet on school spending is becoming a pattern with the BC Liberals.

“They delayed previously construction of a secondary school by two school years. By that time the school was already full and overflowing when it opened.”

To illustrate the situation across that school district, Fleming says seven thousand kids in Surrey have portables for classrooms.

“Casey Elementary, which was open in 2014, that school for 500 kids already has 900 kids and over a dozen portables on site.”

Fleming says Christy Clark promised an aggressive school construction program in 2013, but did nothing once she was elected.

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