It was a big part of the B.C. NDP’s 2017 election platform: “We will get students out of portables and into classrooms by building new schools in Surrey, Coquitlam and other fast-growing communities.” But when students go back to the classroom next month, there will be more portables in Surrey than last year.
Last year, Surrey had 314 portable classrooms. This year, that number could climb to 320 or more.
The Surrey School District is the fastest growing in the province with 71,000 students currently enrolled.
“Our growth is contained mainly in three areas: Grandview Heights in south Surrey, the south Newton area, and the Clayton Heights area,” said Surrey School District spokesperson Doug Strachan.
The city is getting a new high school, the Salish Secondary School in Clayton Heights. The school will take the pressure off Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary, which had up to 18 portables last year.
“We’ll be using those portables at other locations. There may be some left there, but that’s only because of the practicality of not moving them twice.”
Woodward Hill Elementary is also getting a 200-seat classroom addition.
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The provincial government is trying to keep up with the growth, but are struggling to get the land needed to build enough schools to meet Surrey’s growth. Education minister Rob Fleming says there are 15 projects in design phase and the construction of four new schools approved.
“The previous government didn’t even buy land and we have had to assemble lots and approve multiple projects started from scratch because nothing was left for us in that regard,” said Fleming.
The B.C. NDP has committed $2 billion over the next three years in capital spending for schools across the province. One of the challenges the B.C. government is getting the permits in place to build more schools.
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Fleming says the goal to get rid of Surrey portables is now as ‘quickly as possible’ in part because of the construction issues.
“There is something wrong when condominiums can get permitted within two to six months and it can take upwards of a year or two to get a school approved,” said Fleming. “We have said we can create a one window stop to get schools approved. And the mayor of Surrey and her council has said yes.”
Along with the dedicated office for Surrey school construction, the province is considering getting firms to bid on multiple schools at the same time and to build those schools at the same time.
“There is no question the biggest issue is catching up on the back log,” said Fleming. “You have got to have new schools as part of fast growing community like Surrey.”
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