585 new student spaces to target enrolment pressure in Maple Ridge

The Province and the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District are tackling increasing student enrolment and community growth with a brand new $24.4-million South Albion Elementary school.

Education Minister Mike Bernier made the announcement today at the Maple Ridge Board of Education office. He was joined by Marc Dalton, MLA for Maple Ridge-Mission, Doug Bing, MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, Mike Murray, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows board of education chair, as well as school district and city officials. The draft design plans for the new school were unveiled as part of the event.  

The new school will be nearly 4,700 square metres and is located in the Albion area of Maple Ridge at 240th St. and 104th Ave. It will be a state-of-the-art building with open, modern and collaborative learning spaces to support B.C.’s new curriculum. It will have three kindergarten and 21 elementary classrooms and includes a large grass sports field. 

The new school will be built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards. It will house a StrongStart space for early learning programs for children and a Neighbourhood Learning Centre to provide community services and programs.

The new school is a high-priority project for the school district. It is needed to make more room for the growing number of elementary-aged children in the area, due to rapid residential development.

The Province is providing $20.8 million toward the project and the school district is contributing $3.6 million. Work is expected to start in summer 2018 and finish in fall 2019.

Read the full story.