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Wendy Johnson, chair of the Langley School Board, described zero government funding for future schools in Langley as “frustrating.” Johnson is pictured at lunchtime Wednesday outside of R.E. Mountain Secondary School in the rapidly developing Willoughby area.
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Education
No money for new Langley schools Willoughby schools are overcrowded, and the province has no money this year for new construction.
will see a reduction in its student numbers would be the sale of properties it has now. this year due to Yorkson’s opening, is at 888 “My sense is that there’s no capital money with a capacity of 725. that’s been assigned to the Ministry of Assuming all residential construction Education,” said Green. stopped and there was absolutely no popula“This is really disappointing,” said Trustee tion growth or new children, there are so Megan Dykeman. She suggested the dismany elementary students already in the trict needs to lobby for the use of modular by Matthew Claxton region that both schools would face increasschools, already built in Alberta, to rapidly mclaxton@langleyadvance.com ing pressures over the next five years. create new school buildings. While schools in Langley’s Willoughby By 2020, Yorkson would Trustee Rod Ross called it neighbourhood are already bursting at the have 1,018 students and R.E. a “crisis” and said he was “My sense is that seams, the provincial government has said Mountain would have 1,140. shocked. there’s no capital there is no money for building new schools Based on current populaEnrolment in the R.E. this year at all. tion expectations, the situation Mountain catchment, which money that’s been Trustees expressed shock and disappointis worse, with Yorkson hitcovers most of Willoughby, assigned to the ment and planned to continue lobbying for ting 1,343 students and R.E. was up about 300 students Ministry of Education.” this year, according to an early funds for the fast-growing area. Mountain at 1,455 by 2020. Normally, the Ministry of Education That would put Mountain at count. David Green requires every school district in B.C. to send double its actual capacity. Another recommendation for in a five-year plan annually to give a listing of Both schools are expected to the area is to possibly relocate new schools, additions, and other construcrely heavily on portables in the near future; Willoughby Elementary and sell the existing tion that might be needed. three portables were installed at the Yorkson property at the corner of 208th Street and In July, a letter from the site before construction had 80th Avenue. The district has been receiving ministry said that won’t be even finished. expressions of interest from developers, and necessary, due to a change in Langley’s five-year plan Green’s report recommended looking into the “Asking us to come up the computer software used to calls for three new elementary idea. with 50 per cent of the evaluate the plans. schools and a new secondary “It’s a valuable piece of property,” he said. cost is unrealistic.” For Langley, this means that school for Willoughby. However, it’s not valuable enough that it it will be at least another year The district would also would pay for the entire cost of buying new Wendy Johnson before its urgent needs for like to expand R.C. Garnett land and building a new school, Green noted. new school construction in Elementary. The district is expected to start consulting Willoughby can even be considered. The expansions are needed despite the fact with parents in the area as soon as this week Some of the current and near-future issues that three schools have opened in the past about proposed changes, starting with small of overcrowding were outlined by district three years in the Willoughby neighbourhood. meetings with a few parents from each school Secretary Treasurer David Green for the board The Education Ministry is also asking disand expanding to a public process. Tuesday. tricts to contribute 50 per cent of capital The trustees voted to send in physical copBoth the newly-opened Yorkson Middle costs, Green said. ies of their five-year plan as a tool to draw School and R.E. Mountain Secondary are “Asking us to come up with 50 per cent provincial attention, with copies heading already over capacity. of the cost is unrealistic,” said Chair Wendy to both MLAs from Langley, to Education Currently, Yorkson has 794 students and its Johnson. Minister Peter Fassbender, and to Premier official capacity is 750. R.E. Mountain, which The only way the district could finance that Christy Clark.