As the largest and fastest-growing school district in British Columbia, Surrey’s boom is straining its schools, pushing it to try unconventional options to accommodate the surge.
Clusters of portable classrooms have become a familiar sight. Some schools have rejected in-catchment students for lack of space. This fall, a third of Surrey’s high schools will extend the school day, creating an additional learning period and boosting capacity by 15 per cent.
“That’s going to be a challenge for both staff and students to adjust to — and we don’t see that as a temporary measure. That’s going to be more of a permanent measure as we move forward and really try and manage this growth,” said Mark Pearmain, district superintendent and CEO.