The need for a high school in Queensborough has been a hot topic in New West this week.
On Monday, city council considered a motion from Coun. Daniel Fontaine, who recommended a letter be written to the education minister in support of the school district’s ongoing request for site acquisition to build a new high school in Queensborough. The motion stated that Queensborough has had significant growth over the past decade and high school students face “significant challenges” getting to and from New Westminster Secondary School.
Fontaine said his motion does not take away from the school district’s other capital funding requests for schools.
“Queensborough is a very unique community in that the students that are in there, that are going to the high school do have to make it across the Queensborough Bridge,” he said.
Fontaine believes there’s an opportunity to be “a bit creative” and consider building a high school that would serve Queensborough and the Hamilton neighbourhood in Richmond. He said New Westminster Secondary School is “incredibly overcrowded” so a high school in Queensborough would “instantly relieve the pressure on NDub.”
“Let's get moving on it, because we know it's going to take a number of years before there are shovels in the ground,” he said.
The March 10 council agenda included a Feb. 28 letter from Maya Russell, chair of the New Westminster school board.
“While we remain grateful for council’s past and present support of our mandate to serve district families and their educational needs, New Westminster Schools is not requesting a school in Queensborough at this time,” she wrote. “Our priority in Queensborough has been to complete the expansion of Queen Elizabeth Elementary School, which is nearing the end of pile-driving stage.”
The letter continued: “High school capacity in Queensborough is included in our long-range facilities plan but we have several more pressing short- and mid-term priorities. We seek your support to maintain focus on those projects in your advocacy to the province.”
According to Russell, these urgent priorities include obtaining approval for the construction of a new downtown elementary school (which is being referred to as Simcoe Elementary) and the purchase of land to build a fourth middle school.
“These projects will help reduce many of the capacity pressures we are facing — and expect to face in the coming years — within the student age groups that attend our elementary and middle schools,” said the letter. “Once these priorities are addressed, our district will be better placed to begin remedying capacity concerns at the secondary school level. Our board appreciates the City of New Westminster’s support in advocating for our students and your ongoing collaboration with us on school capital planning.”
Buzz off
Several councillors stressed the need for council to take its lead from the school board when it comes to school needs in New West.
“I think we're all Team Schools, but we have to be paddling in the same direction. We can't be overstepping. This is not our jurisdiction,” said Coun. Tasha Henderson. “We can't be deciding what the school board priorities are, and they have clearly said in a public letter that this is not a priority for them right now.”
Henderson expressed concern that it could be harmful to the district’s advocacy efforts to have the city advocating for a capital project that is not the board’s priority.
“To me, this is a nicely worded letter to say, ‘buzz off,’ essentially; that they have a plan,” she said.
Fontaine said it doesn't take rocket science to realize that 2,600 students in one school in a population of 90,000 is too much.
“And when you look at all the developments that we're going to be approving over the next one, three, five, 10 years, every single one of those developments is going to add even more pressure to the one high school,” he said. “We have multiple middle schools, we have multiple elementary schools, but only one high school.”
After a feisty debate, council unanimously supported a motion to write to the education minister in support of School District 40’s capital needs that reflect its long-range facilities plan. Council also resolved that advocacy for capital projects is added to the agenda of the next school board/city working group.
“We could debate the merits of how education should be organized. But you know what? There's an elected body to do that in New Westminster,” said Coun. Jaimie McEvoy. “And that elected body is the school board. … This is scope creep. We're not the school board.”
Fontaine said the school board documents states "there is a growing need for an additional secondary school in New Westminster, as the district has only one high school” and noted a significant number of secondary students live in Queensborough, so a secondary school in that neighbourhood would allow students to attend a high school that’s closer to their homes and would relieve pressure on NWSS which has now exceeded its capacity.
“So, to make reference or infer that … I'm going rogue here, that there's never been any requests for a high school in Queensborough, etc., is completely false. Absolutely false,” he said. “I encourage everyone to do some reading and to read the actual school board capital plan request, because the high school for Queensborough is directly noted in the request.”
Henderson said no one is disputing the school district’s long-range facilities plan mentioning the need for a high school in Queensborough, but the letter from the board stated it is not a priority at this time.
If council is going to support a site for a school, Coun. Ruby Campbell said it should come as a request from the school board as part of its planning.
“If council colleagues here want to help prioritize or reprioritize or somehow inform how the school trustees who were elected to do that job, how they reprioritize, perhaps they should run for school board next time,” she said.
Mayor Patrick Johnstone said city council unanimously supported the school district’s 2024/2025 eligible school sites proposal.
“I think it's very important that we assure that our advocacy to the province around schools is aligned with their advocacy,” he said. “If we disagree with the direction they're going or have priority differences, we should have that conversation with them.”
In June 2024, city council accepted the school district’s 2024/2025 eligible school sites proposal, which included site expansion and new site acquisition for four schools:
- An expansion to the Queensborough Middle School site to accommodate the growing secondary school-aged population in Queensborough.
- New acquisition for a middle school in the Fraser River zone.
- Site expansion for a new elementary school in the Glenbrook zone, currently anticipated to be in the form of an expansion to the school district-owned Home Learners Program site adjacent to Hume Park.
- New acquisition for an elementary school in the Fraser River zone, in addition to the elementary school being planned to be added to the Fraser River Middle School site. This additional school could potentially be part of a larger mixed-use development.
School board changes letter
Following Monday’s night’s discussion in council chambers, the school board discussed the issue briefly at its meeting the following night.
Trustee Danielle Connelly asked that a line reading “New Westminster Schools is not requesting a school in Queensborough at this time” be removed from the letter to city council.
“It's in our five-year capital plan submission that we actually are asking for site acquisition and a new school in Queensborough,” she said.
Russell said the letter was written with the understanding that a call for a high school in Queensborough could impact the district’s ability to get funding for the elementary school at Simcoe or the middle school.
“You guys know the list, so I guess it's up to the board. But I would say I, I have met with the minister of education, I've met with the minister of infrastructure twice, and at this point, I am not asking for a high school in Queensborough, because we need to get the elementary school and middle school built,” she said. “You're absolutely right. It (a Queensborough high school) is in our five-year capital plan. So, I guess I defer to the board, if people would like that correction, that’s something we can certainly do.”
Connelly put forward a motion that the board “strike that line” and resubmit the letter to council. The board unanimously approved the motion.
Trustee Marc Andres said it’s really important that there is consistency in requests being made to the ministry. He noted a Queensborough high school is included in the district’s long-range facilities plan.
Connolly said it is also important that the city is aware of the district’s desire to see a new high school in Queensborough, as it is updating its official community plan.
Petition launched
On March 11, Tony Chee launched an online petition: Advocate for a new school in Queensborough and Hamilton area.
“As local citizens profoundly touched by this pressing issue, we witness daily the increasing strain on New West secondary school, as our children's learning environment becomes ever more crowded,” said the petition. “The current state of things is untenable: Queensborough and Hamilton's population is growing, and the absence of another local schooling option is deepening the existing problem.”
As of March 14, more than 390 people had signed the petition.
“The relentless growth of our communities in Queensborough and Hamilton necessitates an immediate solution to this problem at hand: the construction of a new school,” said the petition. “Therefore, we call on the ministry of education and New Westminster council, appealing for their swift and necessary action to alleviate this burden from New West secondary school and, primarily, from our children's shoulders.”
