Surrey Faces Urgent Need for New Schools as Population Growth Surges
Surrey, British Columbia’s largest school district, is facing a pressing need to construct nearly two dozen new schools in the next decade. The latest projections reveal a significant increase in the school-aged population, prompting concerns among some Surrey City Council members.
During a recent presentation to the council, Surrey Schools outlined a forecast that anticipates a net growth of 10,998 school-aged children in the district over the next ten years. This surge in population is expected to necessitate the construction of 22 new schools, along with one expansion and one replacement facility, with an estimated cost exceeding $931 million.
The projections are based on the anticipated development of approximately 58,720 residential units in Surrey and White Rock over the same period. Despite these figures, some council members, including Coun. Pardeep Kooner and Coun. Mike Bose, raised doubts about the accuracy of the projections, highlighting discrepancies between the expected student numbers and the overall population growth.
Expressing concerns about the funding shortfall, Coun. Bose emphasized the urgent need for adequate educational infrastructure in Surrey. He called for a reassessment of the formula used to predict student numbers and criticized the provincial government for not fully supporting the educational system in the city.
Mayor Brenda Locke echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the persistent challenges faced by the school district due to inadequate funding and severe overcrowding in existing schools.
In response to the growing demand for educational facilities, Surrey City Council voted to endorse the district’s proposal for new school sites for the 2026-2027 academic year. This proposal will now be submitted to the Ministry of Education and Child Care for funding approval.