Construction has officially begun on the new Edgewood Drive-area elementary school in Surrey. The new $33-million Edgewood Drive-area elementary school will add 655 new student seats to Grandview Heights when it opens in September 2021.

“After years of underinvestment in Surrey, families are finally beginning to see what a properly resourced education system looks like with thousands of new student seats coming to Grandview Heights,” said Rob Fleming, B.C. Minister of Education. “This is a great example of how our strong relationship with the Surrey Board of Education and the City of Surrey is providing better support for Surrey students.”

In addition, Grandview Heights families can look forward to a new 1,500-seat secondary school in 2021 and a 300-seat addition to Pacific Heights Elementary in 2020. In April 2018, government also approved $28.95 million for the Surrey School District to purchase land for a new elementary school in the nearby Sunnyside neighbourhood.

Work has also begun on the new Maddaugh Road elementary school, a $34.1-million project that will be open to 605 Clayton-area students in 2021.

“We’re on a roll now with school construction in Surrey and it’s great to see,” said Surrey Board of Education chairperson Laurie Larsen. “Besides the Edgewood Drive area elementary, work is under way on the 12-classroom addition at neighbouring Pacific Heights Elementary, as well as the 605-seat Maddaugh Road Elementary school in Clayton Heights. We also expect construction to start this spring on two more South Surrey schools.”

While there are about 7,000 Surrey students in portables, there are also about 7,000 new student seats that will be open by September 2021 throughout the district.