CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. – To keep up with an expected bump in student population, four Campbell River Elementary Schools are about to increase their capacity.
At the school board’s Feb. 5 meeting, secretary-treasurer Kevin Patrick requested, and the board approved, a draw of up to $300,000 from local capital and up to $300,000 from unrestricted surplus to increase classroom space at École Phoenix Middle School, Southgate Middle School, Ripple Rock Elementary and Ocean Grove Elementary.
Overall district enrollment is estimated to increase by approximately 30 FTE (full-time equivalent enrollment) for September 2019 and internal migration is increasing enrollment at certain schools.
During the meeting, Patrick informed the board that expansion costs are not supported through the Learning to Be Our Best Ministry of Education Capital Plan and they are not eligible for Ministry of Education restricted capital funds.
However, the approval of these draws will allow the district to convert two rooms at both Southgate and Phoenix back to classrooms and one additional classroom at both Ripple Rock and Ocean Grove.
According to the district, Phoenix is projecting an increase of 40 students from September 2019 and will require two classrooms.
Southgate is projecting an increase of 60 to 70 students, and will also require two more classrooms. The school also expects another 20 student increase in 2020 before its enrollment stabilizes.
The work required at Southgate is to convert rooms back to classrooms.
The enrollment at Ripple Rock is only expected to go up by four students, but the addition of the Kwak’ wala Immersion and the estimated 2020 growth has created the need for an additional classroom.
Ocean Grove is projecting an increase of 19 students for September 2019 and another 14 students in 2020 before enrollment stabilizes and starts to reduce, the district predicted.
The new housing developments in the Ocean Grove catchment are expected to be coming in the next two years, at which time enrollment will stabilize and start to decline as the neighbourhoods mature, a report from Patrick noted.
The MyCampbellRiverNow.com newsroom has reached out to Patrick and School District 72 superintendent Jeremy Morrow for comment.
