SD73 facing significant capacity issues in Kamloops schools

“City-wide, by 2030, we’re anticipating if we make no changes to be at 129 per cent capacity, so we will be full,” Kershaw says. “Sa-Hali Secondary is a big pressure point for us right now. Currently, it would be slated to be at 180 per cent capacity.”

Much of that growth is expected in the southwest sector of the city. Some neighbourhoods in that area have been ripe for a new school for some time.

“Our Number One ask right now is Pineview Valley,” Kershaw says. “We bus an entire school full of children out of that community right now, into other schools.”s to

Kershaw did say the Valleyview expansion and a rebuilt Parkcrest will help relieve some pressure. However, neither will be enough to accommodate the projected growth of the city’s population.

“We need to see some additional capital being committed now, recognizing construction times,” Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone says. “If you make a decision on a project today, you’re looking at a good two years before you can open doors and welcome kids.”

The Minister of Education wasn’t available for an interview. However, she did send a statement criticizing the BC Liberals for years of inaction in SD73.

“Our government is working to give students the highest quality educational experience possible, and we are committed to making sure the use of portables is a limited, short-term solution.

While the old government did nothing but watch as some Kamloops schools became overcrowded, with no plans to address it, we are doing things differently.”

In the last four years, we have announced $71.3 million to add 645 new student seats to Kamloops schools through a new addition at Valleyview Secondary, and an expanded replacement of Parkcrest Elementary. I was also pleased to see the district reopen Westsyde Elementary last September to help reduce crowding in nearby schools.

We know Kamloops is a wonderful place to raise families and we are working closely with the district’s leadership to identify areas of growth in the district, and to develop strategies to support this growth.”

– BC Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside

MLA Stone points to a decline in enrolment numbers in SD73 over the years the BC Liberals were in power.

“There was about a 20 per cent decline in enrolment in the Kamloops school district from the early-2000s, up until about 2014,” Stone says. “I think it’s certainly a bit disingenuous to suggest that we should have been building a whole bunch of schools when we were seeing enrolment decline quite significantly for about a decade.”

Kershaw says the school board and the City are planning to work together to ensure the ministry remains aware of those needs.

“Of course, we’re very much at the mercy of the Ministry of Education, in terms of our funding,” Kershaw explains. “It’s been a long time since Kamloops saw a new school being built; Pacific Way Elementary was the last one. We really do need to see some new schools in our district.”

One thing is certain — the longer the province waits to build a new school in the district, the greater the capacity issue will be.

by Adam Donnelly

SD73 facing significant capacity issues in Kamloops schools

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