Seismic upgrades at Port Renfrew Elementary and work starting on three new elementary schools are the highlights from the Sooke School District’s 2022-23 major capital plan submission.
SD62’s board of education approved the plan at the June 28 board meeting.
As well as the new schools in Langford and Colwood, all proposed to be complete during the 2024-25 school year, seismic upgrades will be made to the Port Renfrew Elementary School, a highlight of the plan according to Ravi Parmar, chair of the Sooke School District Board of Education. The upgrades will see the existing school be built into a kindergarten through Grade 12 campus in Port Renfrew and is a partnership between SD62 and Pacheedaht Nation.
“Building new schools in our rapidly growing communities is essential, but it is not enough to meet our responsibility to deliver high-quality learning experiences for all of our students,” Parmar said in a statement. “The campus would drastically improve access for Grade 5-12 students by offering education in their home community instead of having to ride a bus three or more hours a day to get to and from the nearest middle or secondary school in Sooke.”
SD62 added they are continuing to advocate at the provincial level for funding for more projects as the district tries to “keep pace with the unparalleled growth in our region.”
Most recently, the province announced on June 14 $39.6 million for the new south Langford elementary school, to be built in the Latoria neighbourhood.
READ MORE: New $40-million elementary school coming to south Langford
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