File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Steve Morisette, MLA for Kootenay-Monashee

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Back to school across B.C.

Sep 3, 2025 | 10:30 AM

IT IS ALWAYS AMAZING how fast September comes around, and I hope British Columbians everywhere were able to enjoy the summer. With this week comes another exciting time across B.C. — back to school!

The first days are always full of energy as kids get to reconnect with their peers and educators and start a new phase of their learning journey.

As families prepare to send their kids back to school, some for the first time or the last time, our government has been working hard to keep up with our growing communities by building new, safer and expanded schools across the province.

Last week, we announced nearly 3,000 new student seats would be ready this fall across communities in B.C., with thousands more under construction. Since 2017, we have made historic investments to ensure that more kids can attend seismically safe schools that are built to last and that we’re keeping up with growth. These investments are creating over 43,000 new student spaces and over 39,000 seismically safe seats across the province.

In my own constituency, I am thrilled that this week, elementary aged kids will start this new school year at the brand new Glenmerry Elementary in Trail. The full replacement of the previous school added 165 new seats and now the bigger, newer and safer school boasts an enrollment of 435 students.

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Other new schools and additions are opening across the province this week, including in Langford, Delta, Kelowna and Richmond.

In the Fraser Valley, expanded schools in Langley are adding over 900 student seats to the region. Additionally, we’re adding over 700 new school seats in the Surrey School District.

While having new and safe schools for our communities is incredibly important, we also know that for some, school can be challenging, and that’s why it’s incredibly important for us to create welcoming, safe and inclusive school environments.

Strong programs like Expect Respect and a Safe Education (ERASE) help make sure that children in schools have mental wellness support and have access to anti-bullying resources- and parents and families can access support through the program too. Some of the resources include training to help children and their families navigate things like bullying and harassment, as well as navigating a digital world.

Other initiatives to make sure our schools are more inclusive, welcoming and safe, while also giving children the best education possible, is prioritizing education on Black History, discrimination faced by Indigenous Peoples in Canada, the Holocaust and the history of Japanese Canadian Internment.

We also know that students need fuel to learn and school should be a place where no student needs to go hungry. This year, nearly 90 per cent of schools across the province have food programs that help make sure students don’t need to learn on an empty stomach.

As a father, I am so grateful that my kids were able to get excellent educations in B.C. I am thankful to all the educators, support staff, trustees, district staff and families that help children across the province on their education journeys and help prepare them for the future.

We know that there is more work to do in supporting even more new and expanded schools and our incredible education staff, and our government is committed to continuing investments in schools, educators, staff and students.

I am wishing all students, families and education staff a very happy back to school and hoping you have a wonderful year ahead!

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.