Students will soon have a new school now that funding is approved for Pitt Meadows Secondary.
“Students and families are benefiting from our government’s huge investments in school projects like the one right here in Pitt Meadows,” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care. “In the last seven years, we have delivered more classrooms in modern, safer and seismically upgraded schools for communities throughout B.C., and it’s making a real impact in B.C.”
The Province’s investment of more than $143 million is on top of the school district’s contribution of $142,000 that will create 1,100 student seats. The school will be built to LEED Gold Standards and include energy-saving measures during construction to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
A neighbourhood learning centre will also be used to provide purpose-built space for Indigenous education, expand the gym, and provide a theatre space and teaching kitchen for community use in Pitt Meadows. The school district is also considering options to create a new child care facility on site to make the location a comprehensive community hub.
“This replacement school is a key component of the government’s broader strategy to ensure all students have access to secure and modern learning environments,” said Lisa Beare, MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows. “I’m so excited that families and surrounding communities will benefit from the new school for decades to come.”
In seven years, the Province has approved $206.9 million to the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District. This includes $8.4 million school district contributions. Some of the major capital projects include one site acquisition in East Albion, seismic upgrades at Fairview Elementary and Westview Secondary, and the seismic replacement with expanded capacity at Eric Langton Elementary creating more than 2,130 safe seats and 215 new seats in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District.
“I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Education and Child Care for its significant investment in this project,” said Elaine Yamamoto, board chair, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District. “This new, seismically safer facility will also be a great addition to the community with a neighbourhood learning centre, which will provide purpose-built space for Indigenous education, expand the gym, and provide a theatre space and teaching kitchen for community use in Pitt Meadows.”
Since September 2017, the B.C. government has approved $5.1 billion for new and improved schools, and land purchases for schools in the province. This has resulted in more than 35,000 new student spaces and almost 37,000 seismically safe seats at B.C. schools.
Budget 2024 includes $3.75 billion for school capital projects over the next three years, including new and expanded schools, seismic upgrades and replacements, and land purchases for future schools.
