The province’s largest school district officially unveiled 180 new student spaces last week as Education Minister Peter Fassbender and Surrey-Panorama MLA Marvin Hunt helped open a nearly $6-million, eight-classroom addition to T.E. Scott Elementary.

The addition – four kindergarten classrooms and four Grade 1-7 classrooms – increases the school’s capacity from 295 to 475 K-7 students and allows the removal of 12 portables on site. The school’s original 1957 classroom block and gymnasium were also seismically upgraded as part of government’s comprehensive Seismic Mitigation Program.

The new wing was built to meet the BC Wood First Act, and as part of its innovative design the four kindergarten classrooms open to a shared patio space for students. Following construction the school repurposed surplus wood beams, building a number of benches for hallways throughout the building.

In keeping with B.C.’s Education Plan, the school also used the project to increase accessibility to technology resources for students. In addition to 90 iPads already available throughout the school, projector systems and interactive Apple TV were installed in the eight new classrooms.

The project is part of government’s $144.5-million commitment to full-day kindergarten announced in 2010. As part of that funding, the Surrey school district received 26 modular classrooms at 18 school sites, funding to convert 36 existing classrooms to kindergarten use and 32 new classrooms through additions at six elementary schools, including T.E. Scott.