Surrey school district asks province for more schools as projected new enrolment doubles

The Surrey school district is asking the provincial government to build more schools in the city after welcoming 1,300 more students than it had projected in March, even as more students are forced to learn in temporary portables.

The district says it expected about 900 new students to enrol in September, but the actual number was 2,200.

"We all made our enrolment projections this past spring during our budget planning, and with the pandemic, it was so difficult to predict because ... there were so many variables that we couldn't predict, " said Ritinder Matthew, the district's associate director of communication.

Surrey's is the largest and fastest-growing school district in the province, with more than 78,000 students and 13,000 staff.

Matthew says before enrolment slowed under the pandemic, the district was welcoming about 1,000 new students from Surrey and surrounding areas like White Rock.

With pandemic restrictions lifted, she said, many schools in Surrey are over capacity. 

9 more schools needed

Surrey continues to gain on Vancouver in population and is on its way to becoming the most populous city in the province.

While Vancouver gained 30,762 people between 2016 and 2021, with a growth rate of five per cent, Surrey expanded at a rate of 9.7 per cent, adding more than 50,000 people. 

Every year, the Surrey school district send a capital submission to the Ministry of Education and Child Care, proposing new projects to address the district's capacity needs.

Matthew said in the 2023/2024 five-year plan, the district has asked the province for nine new schools in Surrey and 16 additions to currently existing schools to keep up with increasing enrolment.

The district is also working on hiring more staff.

"This is a big concern for us ... portables are a short-term solution," she said.

More schools on the way

Since 2017, Matthew said six new schools have opened in the district, and seven schools have been expanded.

One more new school — Snokomish Elementary — is being constructed and is set to open in spring 2025, while expansions at four existing schools are also in progress.

In a statement to CBC News, the ministry says it is aware of the "tremendous growth" Surrey is experiencing and has invested $475 million over the past five years. That funding is expected to help create space for more than 10,000 students and eliminate 400 portables.

"We know there is more work to be done, and that's why we continue to make record investments — with $3.1 billion budgeted over the next three years for new and expanded schools, seismic upgrades, maintenance, playgrounds, and property purchases for future schools," said B.C. Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside.