The Ministry of Education hasn’t provided funding for two much-needed elementary schools in the Clayton area of Surrey, but the school district wants to be ready to break ground when they do.
Two architects have been appointed to design a pair of new elementary schools: Clayton Village NE and Clayton Village NW, both in the rapidly growing Cloverdale neighbourhood.
However, neither has been funded by the provincial government as of yet and construction can’t begin until that happens. The school district’s theory is that when the money does come, no further time will be wasted on making plans, such as securing an architect, and construction can begin immediately.
It’s not the first time the district has taken such steps. For example, architects were appointed in 2013 for a new Grandview Heights area high school and that project is still awaiting provincial support.
Six firms were interviewed for the two elementary school projects. ThinkSpace Architecture was appointed for Clayton Village NE and Craven Huston Powers was chosen for Clayton Village NW.
Secretary-treasurer retiring
Wayne Noye, the Surrey School District’s secretary-treasurer, plans to retire at the end of the school year.
Noye, a Certified Management Accountant, was promoted to the position in 2005, moving up from assistant secretary-treasurer – a position for which he was hired in 1997.
Boyden Global Executive Search has been retained by the school district to conduct a national candidate search to fill the position.
Mileage rate steady
Elected officials and employees in the Surrey School District will continue to receive 54 cents per kilometre for car mileage reimbursement.
Trustees voted Thursday night to keep the rate the same as last year’s.
The figure is based on a review done each December by the federal Department of Finance, which prescribes rates for automobile operating expenses. For 2016, the federal rate has been reduced by a penny, to 54 cents per kilometre. If an employer pays a higher rate, the entire amount of the reimbursement must be reported as a taxable benefit for the employee.
