Sardis – G.W. Graham Secondary students and staff returned from summer break to see construction work underway, bringing them more classrooms.
“As more and more families move to Chilliwack, we are taking action to invest in more school spaces for students to learn and grow,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Education. “It is exciting to see construction now underway to bring 18 new classrooms to G.W. Graham and 72 more at new and expanded schools throughout the community.”
The Government of B.C. is providing up to $23.9 million for the expansion at G.W. Graham. The expansion will add 450 new student seats to the school, increasing capacity to 1,400 students when complete in September 2022. Students will remain on site during construction.
“After years of watching our community grow rapidly without the necessary investments to expand our schools, our government is making great progress providing the modern learning spaces students deserve,” said Kelli Paddon, MLA for Chilliwack-Kent. “Thanks to that work, there are new classrooms being built throughout Chilliwack, and I can’t wait to see students learning in these modern, inspiring spaces very soon.”
The expansion at G.W. Graham is part of the Province’s work to reduce the need for portables in growing communities throughout B.C. This includes $115.5 million announced for school expansion projects in Chilliwack that will add 2,220 new student seats to the region by September 2022.
“I’m pleased to see this expansion moving forward and helping us to meet the enrolment needs in our community,” said Dan Coulter, MLA for Chilliwack. “Having enough schools in our neighborhood means local children and their families have more time to focus on quality education and extracurricular activities that schools provide.”
Budget 2021 includes almost $3.5 billion for school capital investments, including new and expanded schools, seismic upgrades and replacements, and site purchases to ensure land is in place to accommodate fast-growing communities throughout the province.
Willow Reichelt, board chair, Chilliwack School District –
“We are excited to see construction starting on the addition to G.W. Graham Secondary. We are thankful that the Government of British Columbia is investing in permanent learning spaces so that we can move students out of portables in the Chilliwack School District.”
FYI:
To learn more about the Chilliwack School District, visit: https://sd33.bc.ca/
The Ministry of Education’s Seismic Mitigation Program: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=14848EBBEF10466D8C70DAAE25B4A1D4
