Overcrowding forces Surrey schools to turn away in-catchment students

Three schools in Surrey have been forced to stop enrolment, even for students living in-catchment because of overpopulation.

Surrey Schools says the district’s student population has exceeded its capacity. It says Bayridge Elementary and Grandview Heights Secondary are already closed to students living in-catchment and Latimer Road Elementary is on its way to close enrolment.

“More than 1,500 new students enrolled in Surrey and White Rock schools in the past five and a half months,” it said in a release.

Kelly Dee, a Latimer Road Elementary Parent tells CityNews that new residential developments are increasing in Surrey and schools are struggling to keep up.

“People are moving here, they need a place to live, the Skytrain is coming through, I have no problem with the development. They just got to catch up, expanding the schools,” he said.

“Our kids grow up playing with those kids in the neighborhood, they want to go to the same school with them. Having to travel to other schools and the daycare don’t line up, it’s just another added stress for parents.”

According to Surrey Board of Education Deputy Supt. Andrew Holland, an additional 1,563 students have joined the district. The total number of students sits at 83,401 now.

Surrey Schools says the limited funding for new schools has worsened the issue.

Gary Thind, Surrey School Board Trustee, tells CityNews the board is desperate for more funding.

“We cannot afford to do more cuts just because of the enrollment pressure, so our demand from the Ministry is immediately we need more schools. If you cannot give us more schools, at least give us more money for the portables,” Thind said.

It says that the 2023-24 school year started with 3,089 new students — a 3.9 per cent increase — above the average growth in the past, of 800 students every year.

Holland says based on this rate the district expects another 2,000 to 2,500 students by this September — forcing schools to redirect students.

“This spring, we have more kindergarten registrations at Latimer Road Elementary than that school can accommodate, and as a result, the district is closing Latimer Road Elementary to in-catchment students where there is no space at a particular grade level, and redirecting these students to Hillcrest Elementary or Katzie Elementary,” Holland said at a board meeting earlier this month.

“Hopefully there are no other schools this spring where we will have to redirect students, but when enrolment increases beyond our capacity, we have to look at other means to accommodate students’ educational needs.”

Anne Whitemore, a Surrey District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) member tells CityNews that the school’s turning away children is causing stress to parents.

“Imagine you go to register your child for school and you’re told there’s no space, what do you do then? It leaves families anxious about where their child will go to school,” she said.

“It takes 5 years to build a school, we can put up condo towers and malls in less than 2.”

In a statement to CityNews, the Minister of Education, Rachna Singh says no one will have to leave Surrey for their kids to go to school.

“Surrey is experiencing challenges as they are a fast-growing community… I know that Surrey School District will work with those families to ensure they can attend a nearby Surrey school,” she said.

“Since 2017, our government has invested more money in the Surrey School District than any other district in B.C., creating more than 12,400 new student seats, that is 500 new classrooms.”

The ministry is working with Surrey School District to find creative solutions to solve the problem says Singh.

“Our government is committed to investing in Surrey and supporting all the parents and families that call Surrey home, and we look forward to announcing more new projects coming to Surrey in the near future,” she tells CityNews.

–With files from Cecilua Hua