B.C. announces funding for prefab classrooms for growing Vancouver Island school district

The B.C. government is funding the expansions of at least two schools using prefabricated additions which are more permanent than portablesand quicker to completethan traditional construction.

The announcement, made by Education Minister Rachna Singh in Langford on Tuesday, was for $24 million to cover the addition of a total of 16 classrooms for two elementary schools in the Sooke School District.

She said she'll be making similar announcements in other growing school districts in the weeks to come, like Surrey and Langley.

The Sooke School District, on southern Vancouver Island, is one of the fastest growing in the province.

It covers six communities west of Victoria, including Langford the fastest growing municipality in Canadaaccording to Statistics Canada data from 2021.

The school district has grown by over 40 per cent in the last 15 years, with 499 new students this year, and sees no signs of slowing.

Amanda Dowhy, chair of the Sooke school board, said the funding is "both necessary and a welcome relief."

Ruth King Elementary, in Langford, and David Cameron Elementary, in neighbouring Colwood, will each get eight new classrooms, accommodating 190 students in each school.

Vicki Ives, principal at Ruth King, said her school has had to repurpose space to accommodate all of its programs.

Even the staff room has been taken over.

Ives was principal at an elementary school on Haida Gwaii when it got a new, prefabricated school,which she described as "amazing."

She's eagerly anticipating the expansion for Ruth King.

"I'm just very very excited, and so is all my staff. We really want our staff room back!"

The case for prefabricated classrooms

Singhsaid prefabrication means the school expansions will happen quicker than a full, on-site construction project.

"These classrooms will have unique designs, providing students with bright and spacious classrooms that can be built in half the time of a traditional school addition," she said.

Unlike portables, which are designed to be moved from school to school as needed, prefabricated expansions are permanent additions to a particular site.

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In addition to classrooms, they can include washrooms, hallways, and breakout spaces.

The pieces of the additions can be made off-site whilethe ground preparation and civil engineering work are done on-site,shortening overall construction time.

Because the pieces are manufactured, the expansions also require fewer construction workers meaning there's less risk of delays due to labour shortages.

Theexpansions will also be funded by the province unlike portables, which are paid for by school districtswhich Sooke Superintendent Scott Stinson said saves money for the district and frees up portables for other schools.

"So we'll be able to repurpose the portables that are on those two sites to other locations in the district as we continue to work with the ministry for new projects," said Stinson.

The expansions announced for the Sooke district schools are expected to be complete in time for the next school year, 10 months from now.

Stinson said the two expansions will help manage growth in the district next year but more is needed to deal with the years that follow.

While there is a new elementary school currently under construction, the district has already requested provincial funding for another.

According to a statement from the district, it will then need two more elementary schools, a middle school, and a secondary schoolto accommodate enrolment growth over the next five years.

Capital funding for brand new schools is usually determined by the province's annual budget, which is usually released in February.