Katzie Elementary is one of eight elementary schools in Surrey that could feel the impact of proposed catchment boundary changes. The district says they are under extreme enrolment pressure.
“Moving boundaries is about the only real solution that we have until a new school is built,” said Doug Strachan of Surrey School District, who described the move as an “interim measure.”
Parents in Surrey are used to dealing with crowded classrooms. The school year started with five additional portables at Katzie Elementary because enrolment was above capacity.
Critics point to a lack of planning by the B.C. government.
“They knew the special circumstances that Surrey faced and they are happy to take tax dollars from Surrey, a fast-growing city, but they failed to re-invest in schools there,” said NDP education critic Rob Fleming. “Their priority has been transportation only and they failed to approve a school capital budget province-wide since 2006,”
In an email, the BC Ministry of Education said:
“Last August, we committed $64.6 million for Clayton North Secondary and additions to three elementary schools. These projects will create 1,870 spaces for Surrey students in the future; which will go a long way to address the current pressures.”
“We just hope that parents can be patient and in the end we’ll get there,” said Strachan. “We’ll just keep lobbying the government and making steps like boundary changes to try and deal with it in the meantime.”
Parents can provide feedback about the proposed changes until November 16.
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