More spaces in schools have opened up for the new year in Surrey, with a few capital projects expected to be completed soon.
K.B. Woodward Elementary in Whalley added 240 more seats with an expansion of 10 classrooms that opened to students this month, delayed from the expected January 2023 opening.
“In June, K.B. Woodward Elementary had 12 portables. This new addition has allowed us to free up eight of those portables so they can be used by other schools in our district,” Gary Tymoschuk, vice-chair of the Surrey school board said in a provincial news release.
Additionally, Ta’talu Elementary is under construction and expected to open to South Surrey students in 2025, with the expectation that it will relieve enrolment at area-schools, including Edgewood Elementary, which has 15 portables this year and a projection of 951 students, while the school has a capacity for 607.
“As Surrey continues to grow, we are acting to ensure all students have the classrooms they need to learn and grow in one of the best education systems in the world,” Education Minister Rachna Singh said in a news release.
Another new school in the Surrey district, Snokomish Elementary in south Newton is expected to break ground soon. Approved for a location near 58 Avenue and 148 Street, Snokomish is scheduled to open in 2026 with a capacity of 655 students. It will also have 50 childcare spaces, the ministry states.
Two existing schools in District 36 are also under construction, to add more space. Semiahmoo Trail Elementary is getting 10 new classrooms, expected to open during winter next year, and South Meridian Elementary will get eight new classrooms, expected to open in spring 2025.
Semiahmoo Trail in South Surrey is using eight portables this school year, with the addition planned to add space for 245 students, raising the school’s capacity to 515. Enrolment numbers for this year are still being finalized, but projections estimated that about 490 students would be enrolled at the school this year.
South Meridian, located on the Semiahmoo Peninsula, has four portables in use, according to Surrey school district data. The new addition of eight classrooms – room for about 200 students – will increase the school’s capacity to 471 students. Projections provided by Surrey Schools show that about 355 students are expected to attend South Meridian this year.
High schools on the list for additions include Kwantlen Park Secondary (20 classrooms), Tamanawis Secondary (23 classrooms) and Guildford Park Secondary (18 classrooms).
Tentatively, Surrey school district has about 83,000 students, which includes the city’s adult learning and other education programs, deputy superintendent Andrew Holland announced at the September board meeting.
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