B.C. announces more classrooms for Surrey's rapidly growing student population

With overcrowded schools a growing concern in B.C.'s second-largest city, the government promised dozens of new classrooms with hundreds of new spaces for elementary students Wednesday.

The province's minister of education and child care announced the expansion plans outside Forsyth Road Elementary, which is receiving a 14-classsoom prefabricated addition with space for 340 additional students.

"As B.C. continues to grow, we are building up the services that people need the most, and that includes our schools," Rachna Singh said at the event. "We know parents wants to send their kids to quality schools close to their homes and local transit hubs."

The government also promised a 14-classroom prefabricated addition at George Greenaway Elementary, with 350 student spaces. The City Central Learning Centre will also be converted into a new elementary school, creating 225 spaces, Singh said.

Earlier this month, the local school district reported a surge of approximately 2,000 students flooding hallways across Surrey, bringing the total student population to more than 85,000.

At the time, school board chair Laurie Larson told CTV News the city needed 20 new schools, 19 additions, and 21 site acquisitions to alleviate the problem.

In the meantime, local officials have been forced to get creative – implementing an expanded school day at six of the busiest high schools in the district.

Fleetwood Park Secondary, Grandview Heights Secondary, Kwantlen Park Secondary, Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary, Salish Secondary and Tamanawis Secondary now operate on a five-block system, with most students either attending the first four blocks of the day or the last four.

Some students are required to attend the "first two and last two blocks of the day," with a break in the middle, according to a news release from the district.

"We know the need for more student space in rapidly growing school districts like Surrey is urgent," Singh said at Wednesday's announcement.

Next month, British Columbians will go to the polls to either re-elect David Eby's B.C. NDP government or take a different course.

In February, the surging B.C. Conservatives said they intend to eliminate portables in Surrey by increasing class sizes – a plan that was met with backlash from the Surrey Teachers Association. 

The B.C. Ministry of Education has consistently said the province has spent more money in Surrey than in any other district.