While finishing touches are still being completed on the new Royal Bay secondary, plans are already in the works for expansion.
The school, which has been operating for about a month, is already over capacity in terms of students. While final enrolment numbers are still being firmed up, the count is sitting at roughly 20 students over the 800-student capacity.
B次元官网网址淲e notified the ministry it would not be big enough to accommodate our growth,B次元官网网址� said Jim Cambridge, Sooke School District superintendent. He said they did this roughly three years ago during the planning stage.
Provincial NDP leader and Juan de Fuca MLA John Horgan said a better job needs to be done in the planning.
B次元官网网址淚 would suggest the school board does a good job of it, but it takes so darn long to get approval for these capital projects at the ministry that by the time theyB次元官网网址檙e finally ready to go, theyB次元官网网址檙e too small for the needs.B次元官网网址�
He said it speaks to a larger problem. B次元官网网址淚t took so long to get these high schools off the planning books and into construction that growth in the West Shore has surpassed the projections that the schools are based on. Now we need a new wing on a brand new high school.B次元官网网址�
Knowing that the school would eventually need to be expanded, Cambridge said it was designed for the ability to have another wing added at the rear of the building that could accommodate roughly 400 more students, bringing the total capacity to 1,200.
B次元官网网址淲e will likely apply [for more funding] in our capital plan next year,B次元官网网址� he said, although he wasnB次元官网网址檛 sure when and if the extra money would become available. B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 get any choice.B次元官网网址�
In the meantime, the District is planning on adding portables next school year to accommodate additional students. An area in the front of the school was designed for this, Cambridge said.
In terms of this school year, he said B次元官网网址渢hereB次元官网网址檚 a way for us to internally accommodate.B次元官网网址� This means some teachers could lose a prep period.
Cambridge said every year the District grows by about 100 to 150 students, but this year the numbers unexpectedly increased by about 400. Some of that growth could be attributed to the new schools drawing students back to the District, he said.
Horgan said these problems werenB次元官网网址檛 just isolated to the West Shore. He mentioned a similar problem at Sooke elementary, which has almost 70 additional students that they werenB次元官网网址檛 counting on.
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檝e got a whole new class that they hadnB次元官网网址檛 anticipated,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淔ive years ago they were going to close Sooke elementary, and now they donB次元官网网址檛 have room for all the kids who are there.B次元官网网址�
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