The Sooke School District is tentatively moving the Royal Bay secondary expansion project forward, with some support from the Ministry of Education.
SD62 superintendent Jim Cambridge said it remains the districtB次元官网网址檚 top capital project. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e optimistic but itB次元官网网址檚 a long process,B次元官网网址� he added.
Last week the district received ministry approval to prepare a project definition report that aims to build a case for a new wing on the high school. But to do that it must prove the district needs the space at that location, and can build the addition at a reasonable cost and within a reasonable timeline.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 the first step,B次元官网网址� said Cambridge, noting the district is in the process of hiring a team of architects and engineers to complete the report. At this stage, he added, the project is B次元官网网址渟upported but not approvedB次元官网网址� by the ministry.
Royal Bay was over capacity when it opened in fall 2015. Aware it would eventually have to be expanded, the district constructed the school with the capability of adding another wing in future.
Since the school opened, however, the district has also experienced larger than anticipated growth, resulting in the addition of four portables for this school year. With more growth and a re-distribution of class sizes due to the Supreme Court decision, even more portables are expected on site this fall, although the situation is not unique to Royal Bay.
The district also has two requests in to the Ministry to purchase property to build new schools to accommodate West Shore population growth. One potential site off Latoria Road is Agricultural Land Reserve property, for which an ALR exclusion application has been made to allow for the building of a school.
Cambridge could not disclose the location of the other site, due to a land agreement. Given that B.C. is in an election campaign, he didnB次元官网网址檛 expect to hear back from the ministry on the two requests until after May 9.
