SEPTEMBER 2019
36
In Conjunction with
A publication to Educate & Communicate with the parents of Surrey School District.
One year of growth in our school district is the equivalent to the population of a secondary school.
WHAT’S INSIDE SCHOOL BOARD: There’s lots to be proud of inside B.C.’s largest school district as it faces huge challenges regarding adequate school space Page 3 DPAC: This year’s board of directors is still fairly new but it is full of passion and driven by the need for change Page 4 SUMMER: Thousands of students in Surrey took part in new summer learning programs that included culinary skills and filmmaking Page 5
Growth
More space for more students District working hard with province to ‘speed up process’ for building schools
W
ith between 1,000 and 1,200 new students anticipated to enter Surrey schools this fall, the 2019-20 school year is proving to be yet another year of strong growth for the Surrey School District. The influx of students isn’t anything new for the district, which has retained the title of being the largest in B.C. for many years. Student enrolment is projected to top 74,700 this year – the rapid
influx causing ongoing challenges building new school space. “Just for perspective, one year of growth in our school district is the equivalent to the population of a secondary school, or a couple of elementary schools,” said Surrey Board of Education chair Laurie Larsen. “Schools take at least two to three years to plan and build, so it’s difficult, but we’ve worked hard with the Ministry of Education to speed up the process.” Indeed, district has machinery rolling and construction well underway on multiple sites that will add much-needed classrooms in some of the fastest growing neighbourhoods. This fall, for example, an addition will be completed at Panorama Park Elementary, in the West Newton area, that will add 200 student seats at the school. It’s scheduled to be
ready for occupation in October. Pacific Heights Elementary, in South Surrey, also has a 300-seat expansion underway that is due to be complete by spring. z See SCHOOL BOARD, page 3 All the while, there are four brand new schools in various stages of construction: Maddaugh Road Elementary in the Clayton area, an elementary in the Edgewood Drive area of South Surrey, another elementary in the Douglas area of South Surrey, and Grandview Heights Secondary in South Surrey. All are slated for occupancy in 2021. Expansions are also rolling at Coyote Creek, Frost Road and Sullivan elementary schools, which are all scheduled to open in 2020; and con-
struction is anticipated to proceed this year on the new Regent Road Elementary in the Clayton neighbourhood and a sizable addition at Sullivan Heights Secondary. In all, at least 5,000 new student spaces are expected to open by fall 2021. While the new schools and additional classroom spaces take shape, many schools will continue to use portables. This year the district has a total of 361, which is 28 more than last year. Also hand-in-hand with student enrolment, of course, comes staff growth. This year, Surrey Schools has budgeted to hire 78 additional teachers, five principals and vice-principals, 107 EAs (education assistants) and 19 support staff members. Surrey School District
SAFETY: Two more schools in Surrey have seismic upgrades in their future, thanks to a $21M funding commitment from the province Page 8 INJURIES: Did you know that Surrey Schools does not insure expenses for student injuries that happen on school grounds or during school activities? Find out what options are available Page 8
HEALTH: Resources from Fraser Health help parents and educators ensure students have a healthy school year Page 10