Rick Stiebel/News Staff
The provincial government announced Monday that a new secondary school is in the works to address the rapid population growth on the West Shore.
B.C. Minister of Education Rob Fleming said the province will provide $18.6 million to secure a new site for a secondary school on McCallum Road in north Langford. The Sooke School District is providing $350,000 for the project.
READ MORE: Land purchased for new elementary school in north Langford
Fleming cited the need for portables at Belmont Secondary School and the expansion at Royal Bay Secondary School, which required portables shortly after opening, as evidence the need for more schools must be addressed. Premier John Horgan said substantial investment in kindergarten to Grade 12 is an important part of addressing the needs of a rapidly growing community. “Over the past decade, resources weren’t keeping pace with the growth,” Horgan said. “This district has been working overtime to keep pace with the growth.”
Ravi Parmar, chair of the Sooke School District, applauded the provincial government’s commitment to addressing the growth, noting that the Sooke School District is the fastest-growing school district, per capita, in the province.
READ MORE: Bear Mountain land levelled for possible future school
Funding was announced in May 2018 for the purchase of a six-acre site on Skirt Mountain in Langford that would accommodate another elementary school for residents on the north side of the Trans-Canad Highway.
Funding was also announced Monday for two new schools – an elementary and a middle school – in the Westhills area.
READ MORE: Sooke School District continues to grow
rick.stiebel@goldstreamgazette.com
