Chilliwack – Provincial and Local school dignitaries gathered at A.D. Rundle Middle School to announce a major expansion for the school. Through Provincial funding, this will be a $18 Million expansion featuring 12 new classrooms and increasing student population to 750. Current capacity is now 450.
Chilliwack’s school population has been increasing by over 2% every year for the past seven years. The expansion was needed (NOTE the original school was built in 1966).
The prefabricated addition will be at the back of the school and will not decrease parking.
Chilliwack MLA Dan Coulter, who is the former School Board Chair, was quite happy in making the announcement alongside the School Board, Board Chair Willow Reichelt and Principal Sarah Gamboa.
From the Provincial release:
Students and families in Chilliwack will benefit from a significant investment for 300 more seats at A.D. Rundle Middle school as part of government’s plan to expand schools quicker.
“This investment in A.D. Rundle Middle school reflects our government’s commitment to provide quality educational spaces for the growing community of Chilliwack,” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care. “We are taking action with the addition of 12 new classrooms to ensure that students have the room to learn and thrive in a modern, supportive classroom environment.”
Through provincial funding of $18 million, 12 new classrooms will be built using prefabricated construction, increasing student seats to 750, up from the current capacity of 450 seats. The addition will be built to LEED Gold standards and is expected to be complete in early 2026.
“As the MLA for Chilliwack and former school board chair, I’m thrilled to see another significant investment in our local schools,” said Dan Coulter, MLA for Chilliwack. “The addition at A.D. Rundle Middle school will help us work quickly to alleviate pressures and provide our students with the facilities they deserve close to home.”
The Province and the school district have approved funding to build and upgrade schools, adding more than 3,420 new student spaces in Chilliwack over the past seven years with record investments totalling more than $230 million.
Ongoing projects in the region include Sardis Secondary, which will be built with mass timber and adds 400 more seats to the school district, while New Eastside Elementary school is undergoing in-design development. Completed schools include Vedder Elementary, Stitos La Toti Elementary/Middle, Imagine High Arts and Technology, and G.W. Graham Secondary.
“We are very pleased that this 300-seat addition has been approved at A.D. Rundle Middle school and are thankful that the provincial government continues to understand the importance of creating permanent learning spaces for our growing district,” said Willow Reichelt, chair of the Chilliwack Board of Education. “Having an addition made from modular components is exciting because students will be in these new classrooms more quickly.”
Since September 2017, the B.C. government has approved more than $5 billion for new and improved schools, and land purchases for schools in the province. This has resulted in approximately 36,000 new student spaces and more than 38,000 seismically safe seats at B.C. schools.
Kelli Paddon, MLA Chilliwack-Kent – “We are excited to see the expansion of A.D. Rundle Middle school moving forward, thanks to this substantial funding. This project will greatly enhance our ability to serve the educational needs of our students and community, ensuring that we are prepared for future growth.”
FYI
To learn more about the Chilliwack School District, visit: https://www.sd33.bc.ca/
For more information about major public school capital projects underway, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/capital/major-capital-projects
