WATCH: It’s a startling statistic: Just the children in portables in Surrey together add up to the 25th largest school district in B.C. Ted Chernecki has the details.
There are too many students and not enough places to teach them in Surrey, say local politicians.
If it sounds familiar, it’s because it is.
From 2013: Surrey schools face overcrowding issue
From 2011: Surrey schools forced to reduce overcrowding
Decades of surging population has put the city in a position where it’s poised to become B.C.’s biggest by the middle of this century, but infrastructure investment hasn’t kept up.
While there were about 170 portables in use in 2003, there are now around 280. Do the math, and it adds up to at least 6,000 students learning in portables.
“We have more students actually housed in portables than more than half the school districts in the province,” says Surrey School Board Chair Shawn Wilson.
His board has asked to meet with Mayor Linda Hepner and city council to talk about the need for more space.
“With the growth in the city, we are back to almost where we were with portables 20 years ago,” he says, adding that $4 million is spent annually to maintain and moving portables – many of which have become more permanent than temporary.
– With files from Ted Chernecki
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