3 Surrey elementary schools to get 40 new classrooms

Speaking at a Surrey school Friday, Provincial Education Minister Rachna Singh touted the construction of prefabricated classrooms that will add about 1,000 seats across Walnut Road, Lena Shaw, and Woodland Park elementary schools this year.

Construction is now underway at Walnut Road, adding a much needed expansion for a school district that’s already overcrowded.

Singh acknowledged that more work is needed, but defended the NDP’s record.

“We know that Surrey is experiencing significant population growth at a fast pace. That is why we have invested significantly in study schools with nearly $1 billion to date,” she said.

Gary Tymoschuk, vice chairperson of the Surrey School Board, says he appreciates the investment, but his district needs 10 new schools right now just to keep up with demand.

“We’re probably going to have another 2,500 students come September. Probably 1,500 of those will be in the elementary classifications anyway, so this is just keeping pace,” said Tymoschuk.

“We’ll need at least 10, if not more, schools immediately just to accommodate the students in our system right now.”

The expansions come as the Surrey School Board was forced to slash bus service, and high school students will be on staggered schedules this year to make sure that all of them have seats.

Last week, the province also announced a 800-seat addition to Fleetwood Park Secondary – one of a half dozen Surrey Schools to adopt extended days to accommodate overcrowding.

One Surrey parent says these are just temporary fixes to a much bigger issue.

“This is a long-term problem that has been building up until it is no longer avoidable,” said Anne Whitmore, an education advocate.

“Surrey School District has been asking the government for increased funds, building space, buying more properties to build more schools. We don’t have alignment between the federal, the provincial, and municipal governments around growth. Look at where the SkyTrains are coming in, look at the influx of immigration into certain areas; and then no increased capacities in schools.”

Surrey is the largest school district in B.C., with projections estimating up to 96,000 students to be enrolled by 2033. The district seeking $5 billion from the Ministry of Education to fund 63 major projects to address ongoing growth.

“It’s always appreciated that the government steps up in that regard, but we still need an awful lot more,” said Tymoschuk.