– Walnut Road Elementary will gain four new classrooms, which will create 100 student spaces.
– École Martha Currie Elementary will gain six new classrooms, which will create 150 student spaces.
FAMILIES in Surrey will have 250 more student spaces in their community as part of the government’s plan to expand schools quicker.
“As our population grows in B.C and Surrey welcomes many new students to their schools, we are finding better solutions to deliver more classrooms as quickly as possible,” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care, on Thursday. “We are taking action through record investments in Surrey and these new additions will serve students for decades to come.”
A new six-classroom addition will be coming to École Martha Currie Elementary and four additional classrooms will be coming to Walnut Road Elementary. The use of prefabricated materials means students will be getting modern learning environments, including multiple classrooms and corridors that are built quickly. The new classrooms are expected to be ready in fall 2025. The new classrooms for Walnut Road will be added to the addition announced in fall 2023. With sustainable and energy-efficient designs, the additions also align with the Province’s CleanBC targets and meet B.C.’s enhanced energy requirements.
“As one of B.C.’s fastest-growing communities, it’s important we continue to invest in Surrey schools,” said Mike Starchuk, MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale. “This addition to Walnut Road Elementary and Martha Currie Elementary will bring much-needed student spaces to our community.”
This provincial investment of $15 million is part of the government’s significant investments for new and expanded schools in Surrey, with more than $765 million to create 12,650 new student seats in the past six years. Construction is underway for the new Snokomish Elementary and Ta’talu Elementary, and additions to Semiahmoo Trail Elementary and South Meridian Elementary.
In 2023, school additions opened at K.B. Woodward Elementary, Morgan Elementary, White Rock Elementary and Sunnyside Elementary, with funding announced to expand Tamanawis Secondary, Guildford Park Secondary and Kwantlen Park Secondary school. Prefabricated additions announced in 2023 are also underway for Lena Shaw Elementary, Woodland Park Elementary and Walnut Road Elementary, and are expected to open in fall 2024, adding 875 more student seats.
“Both of these projects will help to address some of the exponential growth we’re experiencing in these neighbourhoods and expand our capacity to meet the needs of our rapidly increasing student population,” said Laurie Larsen, Chair, Surrey Board of Education. “Funding announcements like this are crucial in allowing us to keep students in their neighbourhood schools and providing the best learning and working environments possible for our students and staff.”
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 resulted in 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 future schools.
