Two new Surrey schools – Grandview Heights Secondary and a Douglas-area elementary school – are now under construction and will provide more than 2,100 new student spaces by 2021
“We want every student to get the best educational experience possible, and that means learning in positive, engaging and inspiring classrooms,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Education. “These new schools are a great example of everyone working together to improve education for Surrey students and to reduce portables in this community.”
Government has approved an additional $32.6 million for the Grandview Heights Secondary school, for a total budget of up to $93.2 million. The school will have capacity for 1,500 students.
The new Douglas-area elementary school, near Peace Arch border crossing, has a total budget of up to $33.1 million and will have capacity for 605 students.
To continue to meet the demand for future classrooms in Surrey and to reduce portables at nearby schools, the Province is providing an additional $3.6 million for the Surrey School District. These funds will allow the district to complete the purchase of a site needed for a future school in the Sunnyside Heights neighbourhood. The district will provide an additional $2.4 million in land capital.
In total, the provincial government is providing $31.2 million, along with $3.8 million in district land capital, for the property located at the corner of 20th Avenue and 165A Street in Surrey.
Sunnyside Heights is expected to add more than 5,000 homes in the next 10 years. With this property now secured, the Province will work with the Surrey School District on the best path forward for a new, approximately 630-seat elementary school.
“It’s wonderful to see construction getting underway for Grandview Heights Secondary as this school is so badly needed,” said Laurie Larsen, chair, Surrey Board of Education. “To have construction also beginning on a new elementary school in the Douglas area just three months after our groundbreaking for the Edgewood Drive-area elementary school is great news for South Surrey and a statement about the progress and priority for school construction in our district by our board and partners.”
Government is working to add new student spaces and reduce the need for portables in fast-growing communities like Surrey. Budget 2019 included a record $2.7 billion for school capital investments.
Since September 2017, the Province has announced $226.7 million for new schools, school expansions, seismic upgrades, and land purchases in Surrey – including 2,510 new student spaces.
The following projects in Surrey opened in September 2018, or have approved funding and are in design or construction phases:
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- Salish Secondary (new school, opened 2018)
- Woodward Hill Elementary (addition, opened 2018)
- Panorama Park Elementary (addition, opens 2019)
- Pacific Heights Elementary (addition, opens 2020)
- Coyote Creek Elementary (addition, opens 2020)
- Frost Road Elementary (addition, opens 2020)
- Sullivan Elementary (addition, opens 2020)
- Douglas Area Elementary (new school, opens 2021)
- Edgewood Drive Elementary (new school, opens 2021)
- Grandview Heights Secondary (new school, opens 2021)
- Maddaugh Elementary (new school, opens 2021)
- Regent Road Elementary (new school, opens 2021)
- Sullivan Heights Secondary (addition, opens 2021)
While about 7,000 Surrey students are learning in portables, about 7,000 new student seats will be open by September 2021. In addition, 10 more projects with over 2,000 new student seats in Surrey are supported by the ministry’s capital plan.
