Image Credit: CFJC Today

By James Peters

New School

Education Minister says new school for Pineview Valley moving ahead

May 20, 2021 | 12:04 PM

VICTORIA — B.C. Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside says Kamloops is on track to get a new elementary school.

As MLAs debated budget estimates Wednesday afternoon (May 19) — Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone questioned the minister about what the government is doing to address ballooning enrollment and reliance on portable classrooms in Kamloops.

WATCH: (Video Credit: BC Legislature)

Whiteside responded by saying her ministry has asked the Kamloops-Thompson School District to produce a business case for a school in Pineview Valley.

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“I’m really happy — the capital letter just went out to the school district this week — happy to announce recent support in that letter to produce a business case for a new school in the Pineview Valley area of the region,” said Whiteside.

The school would have a capacity of 485 students.

Whiteside said, in addition to the expansion underway at Valleyview Secondary and the replacement of Parkcrest Elementary School, the need for portables in the local school district will be drastically reduced.

“We have an additional 525 spaces at Valleyview, an additional 120 at Parkcrest and it’s anticipated that the new Pineview Valley school will be 485 spaces,” she said. “That will reduce portable reliance in the region by 45.”

There is no word on a timeline for the new build.

Kamloops has not opened a new school since Pacific Way Elementary in 2000.