Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

MORE SCHOOLS NEEDED

Kamloops-Thompson School Board to prioritize capital investment in 2019-2020 school year

Aug 26, 2019 | 10:19 AM

KAMLOOPS — There’s just a week left for before students and teachers head back and hit the books for another year. For the School District 73 Board of Education, things get underway tonight as they’ll hold their first meeting of 2019-2020.

For now, schoolyards are quiet, but in just one short week they’ll be teeming with kids, heading back for another year of school. And with the new year getting underway, the SD73 board will once again be lobbying the province for an infusion of capital into the district.

“We’re still focusing on a new school in Pineview Valley, we’re looking at expansion at Westmount Elementary, continued growth at Sun Peaks means we’re looking at a school there,” Board Chair Kathleen Karpuk explained. “We’ve added to our list an expansion at Sahali Secondary, so capital is definitely one of the big things the board is going to be focusing on.”

The district got some big news in April 2019, as Education Minister Rob Fleming announced Valleyview Secondary would be getting a $34.5 million expansion. Despite that massive infusion of capital, Karpuk is hopeful there’s more where that came from.

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“When we look at the official community plan that the City has developed, they’re predicting a 30 per cent growth rate in the Aberdeen and Sahali areas over the next ten years,” Karpuk said. “That’s pretty significant growth; we’re going to need new schools to deal with that.”

Portable classrooms have traditionally been the answer to create more space at schools throughout the city. Karpuk says newer portables offering a better learning environment than older ones. However, the separation between the portable classroom and the main school building can create some issues.

“There are challenges around washrooms, there are challenges about going outside between classes,” Karpuk outlined. “There’s the challenge around being isolated, so if something happens, they aren’t connected to the rest of the school.”

With the population of Kamloops expected to rise in upcoming years, Karpuk is confident the province is aware of the need. The key is now addressing that need promptly.

“Kamloops is listed as one of the fastest-growing districts by the provincial government,” Karpuk said. “We’re in the top 10 in the province, so the provincial governments know, and we know we need more space.”