Mom, minister weigh in on Surrey school overcrowding

Lord TweedsmuirSecondary in Surrey is so overcrowded students are hard pressed to find spacetoeat lunch according to the vice chair of the parent advisory committee.

• Surrey mayor calls on province to address chronic school overcrowding
• Halt development for sake of education, says Surrey trustee

"My son says it's difficult," said LindaStromberg,"They're sitting on the floor in a hallwayor in a stairwayor whereever they can find a place."

150% capacity

Lord Tweedsmuir is one of many Surrey public schools stretched to the breaking point, currently operatingat 150 per cent capacity, accommodating 2,100 studentsdespite being built for only 1,400. New studentshoping to get into Tweedsmuirareout of luck becauseenrolment for next year has already been closed.

"There are 46 students in the catchment that are currently on the waitlist," said Stromberg. "Theywon't be allowed into Lord Tweedsmuir...because we simply don't have the space.

Stromberghasspent years campaigning to bring more resources and better planning to the overcrowding issue. She's also involved ina petition asking for expedited school infrastructure in Surrey.

'Very political'

"It's extremely frustrating," she said. "The politicians are very political, they're very careful with their wording,"

B.C Education Minister Mike Berniercould not explain why school planning in Surrey has failed to keep up with population growth, but did tell the CBC'sThe Early Edition thathis ministry is working with the Surrey school district.

"We do recognize, obviously, that Surrey is the largest school district and also the fastest growing," he told The Early Edition. "There's no surprise to anybody who lives in that area that more development is taking place and more investment is needed from the provincialgovernmentwhen it comes to schools."

The situation in Surrey is so dire that last week the Surrey Board of Education voted unanimously to ask city council to stop all development until school infrastructure can catch up with the existing needs.

On Tuesday Surrey Mayor Linda Hepnertold CBC News that the provincial government needs to change the way it approaches new school development.

"What we're seeing is the need to update the current policy on how schools get the green light to be built," said Hepner. "Before any new school can be built it has to be overcrowded and it has to be consistently overcrowded."

But Bernier denied that overcrowding of existing schools is the policy measure usedto determine whether a new school is needed.

"There is no policy," he said. "What we do is that we work with the school districts who bring forward plans to us where they see the projected growth and they see the need."

Bernier says construction on a new secondary school and three new elementary schools will add 1,870 spaces for Surrey students.

Surrey public school enrolment is expected to grow by another 1,000 students next year.