Families in West Kelowna will have 165 more student spaces as part of the government’s plan to expand schools faster.
“As one of the fastest-growing areas in Canada, the Central Okanagan area needs the investments our government is delivering for new spaces to help with high student enrolment,” Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care said in a Monday press release. “We are expanding schools quickly as the school district welcomes more students.”
The province is providing $10.5 million for an addition at Chief Tomat Elementary, which will include seven classrooms connected by corridors for students.
The province went on to say that prefabricated designs are a quicker way to bring more services such as schools to growing communities.
This addition is on top of the five new prefabricated classrooms under construction at North Glenmore Elementary school that will be ready for students in fall 2024.
“To support the rapid growth of the Central Okanagan, the board of education prioritizes advocating for funding of classroom space and we appreciate this investment in our learners,” Lee-Ann Tiede, chair, board of education, said. “We look forward to continuing to work together to meet the needs of students and families in our growing district.”
The provincial government has approved more than $180 million to create 2,385 new student seats in the Central Okanagan School District over the past six years. This includes the 12-classroom addition at École Dr. Knox Middle school underway, the completed École H.S. Grenda Middle and funding for the new George Pringle Secondary.
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