It was September 2016 when then-BC NDP leader John Horgan hosted a press conference outside Katzie Elementary School in Clayton Heights calling for the complete elimination of all portables across the 性视界传媒 school district over the following four years.
鈥淲e have a crisis in public education in this province and a government that seems oblivious to that,鈥� he said as he hammered on the Liberal government of the day for not properly funding schools to address overcrowding.
Coming up on eight years and two NDP government terms later, and we鈥檝e seen significant progress on overcrowding in 性视界传媒 schools.
Trouble is, that progress has all been heading one direction: downhill. Fast.
At the time of Horgan鈥檚 announcement eight years ago there were 275 portables in the district. As of the end of this school year? More than 360.
The 性视界传媒 school district says it would take $5 billion to address its capital needs right now 鈥� needs that are only going to grow as the population does.
The district鈥檚 2025/26 capital plan submission to the B.C. Ministry of Education calls for 20 new schools, 19 additions for existing schools, two school replacements, 21 site acquisitions and one seismic upgrade.
Overcrowding is a particular issue at schools in the city centre and in South 性视界传媒-White Rock. Take Grandview Heights, for instance, where the new high school that opened its doors in September 2021 already needs an addition 鈥� and where yet another new high school is already required to serve the rapidly growing neighbourhood.
The provincial government response to date? Modular classrooms.
Multiple 性视界传媒 elementary schools have already been announced on the list of those receiving prefabricated modules, and it鈥檚 probably a good guess that more will follow.
Granted, they鈥檙e better than existing portables; they include washrooms, heating and air-conditioning, and multiple modulars can be attached together. But they鈥檙e a far cry from a fully fledged school with adequate gym and library space and designated spaces for specialty programs such as music 鈥� and they鈥檙e not even close to offering a permanent solution for the 80,000-and-counting students who attend school in 性视界传媒.
To quote Horgan from that long-ago September day: 鈥淭he long term is to make sure that you鈥檝e got facilities hard-wired for the needs of the community as it exists today and as it will exist in the future.鈥�
In a city that鈥檚 growing as fast as 性视界传媒, that鈥檚 a tall order.
Let鈥檚 hope that whoever forms government come October is prepared to put some big money on the table to start turning the tide on overcrowding that鈥檚 threatening to swamp 性视界传媒 schools altogether.
And let鈥檚 hope that any promises we may hear on that front over the next four months aren鈥檛 empty ones.
Because we鈥檇 hate to have to resurrect this editorial four years from now when yet another government has failed to put its money where its mouth is.
