The Ministry of Education and Child Care has announced its support for planning of a new Brentwood Town Centre-East elementary school, following a needs submission made by the Burnaby School District to the Provincial Government.
Once built, the new school will help take pressure off existing schools facing capacity challenges in the rapidly growing Brentwood area. It will provide a much-needed location south of Lougheed Highway, so that students don't have to cross a busy road to get to current schools.
Burnaby Board of Education Chair Bill Brassington spoke about the importance of a new school to the community:
Our school district is facing rapid growth. This investment is a welcome and important next step toward adding a new school in the Brentwood area - one of the fastest growing communities in the province. A place to go to school is an integral part of any neighbourhood, and ensuring children have safe places to learn is a priority we share with the Ministry of Education and Child Care."
The announcement on April 17 was made by the Minister of Education and Child Care at a special event held at Brentwood Park Elementary which, as announced last December, is also getting an expansion, along with nearby Kitchener Elementary.
Minister of Education and Child Care, Rachna Singh:
"As more people choose to call BC home, our government is continuing to build, expand and upgrade schools across the province. This project in Brentwood will provide more student space in Burnaby as part of our commitment to ensuring that students have access to safe, quality schools that are close to home."
The District is proceeding with a business case and project definition report to detail the scope, schedule, and budget for the new school. Once complete, it will be brought forward to the Provincial Government for final funding approval. The project proceeds to design and construction, following funding approval.
The need for a new Brentwood Town Centre-East elementary school was set out in the District's new Long-Range Facilities Plan. It lays out a roadmap of the Board's plans for buildings, including strategies to address the pressure placed on school buildings by enrolment growth. It is the overarching plan from which the District determines capital funding requests to the Ministry.
Read the Burnaby School District's Long-Range Facilities Plan here.
The Ministry also detailed in its news release $1.9 million for minor capital projects at several Burnaby schools.
