Surrey getting more prefabricated classrooms

As Surrey continues to deal with capacity issues, the B.C. government has announced more prefabricated classrooms are coming to the city.

On Thursday, B.C. Minister of Education Rachna Singh announced that Ecole Martha Currie Elementary will be getting six prefabricated classrooms and Walnut Road Elementary will be getting four. In total, the new classrooms will accommodate 250 students.

“The prefabricated additions will deliver quality learning environments that get students into open, spacious classrooms more quickly,” Singh said.

“With the use of prefab, the build time can be cut in half, making a big difference in delivering more spaces sooner for kids in Surrey.”

Capacity has been an ongoing issue in Surrey, which has been experiencing major growth. Earlier this year, the school board announced it would be extending school days to ease the pressure while some schools have stopped enrolment — even for students living in-catchment — because of overpopulation.

“Kids using the playgrounds in shifts… it means weird lunch time schedules, it means weird schedules to have assemblies because you can’t fit everybody in the gym at once,” says Dean McGee of the Surrey District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC).

Construction is underway for two new elementary schools in Surrey, but DPAC says this is not enough.

“It’s another one of these things where it’s trying to play catch up.”

The government says prefabricated classrooms for three other Surrey schools announced last year are expected to be ready by the fall.