New Westminster parents looking to enrol their children at local schools in the next few years may soon find some relief.
This week, École Fraser River Middle School and École Qayqayt Elementary School received a combined provincial funding of $2.6 million to add 200 more spaces.
That's 100 additional seats and four new classrooms per school, a release from B.C.'s Ministry of Education and Child Care reads.
Renovations are tentatively scheduled to be completed in time for the 2025-26 calendar year.
"The investment comes at a crucial time as the district struggles with the lack of space to accommodate our growing student population," explained School District 40 (SD40) board chair Maya Russell.
"These classrooms will welcome families from their neighbourhood catchment, so they do not have to travel across the city to go to school."
Broken down, $1.4 million will be allocated to Fraser River Middle (800 Queens Ave.) and $1.2 million for Qayqayt Elementary's upgrades (85 Merivale St.).
The announcement came more than a week after Queen Elizabeth Elementary's third-floor expansion was formally approved, which is also set to be finished by fall 2025.
The expansion will transform the building from a two-storey structure to a three-storey school that provides space for 21 classrooms, bringing its capacity to 763 students.
According to its statement, the province has invested nearly $78 million for New Westminster schools in the last six years.
This includes, in addition to Queen Elizabeth Elementary's upgrade, 790 more student spaces across SD40, the new Skwo:wech Elementary and a seismic upgrade for Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary.
"As more families choose to make New Westminster their home, our government is responding to the needs of our growing district and prioritizing investments that ensure students are learning in safe, positive and welcoming schools," added New West MLA Jennifer Whiteside.
"These school-expansion projects are critical in supporting the next generation of New Westminster learners."
The New West investments are part of a 25,000 K-12 student-space expansion for the province since fall 2017
- with a file from Theresa McManus, New West Record
