Nanaimo high school to undergo $3M renovation

Dover Bay Secondary School is pictured: (Google Maps)

Victoria -

Students and staff at Dover Bay Secondary school in Nanaimo may notice some changes to the school next year.

The province and local school district are investing a combined $3 million to roll out renovations in "underused space" at the school.

The renovations will include the creation of four new classrooms, a fitness area, a learning hub and a gender-neutral washroom.

Once the new classrooms open, the school will no longer need to use four portable classrooms, where about 100 students currently have classes, according to the province.

"Nanaimo is a wonderful place to raise a family, and as more children start attending school, we must provide them with dynamic learning environments," said B.C. Minister of Education Jennifer Whiteside in a release Wednesday.

"That’s why we’re adding more capacity to Dover Bay Secondary, so more students can learn in classrooms rather than portables, as we continue improving schools for students in every corner of our province," she said.

The renovations are slated to begin in September and will be completed by March. The province says the construction will not impact teaching in other parts of the school.

The province is contributing $2.6 million to the project, while the Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District is contributing $400,000.

Earlier this year, the province also announced a $15 million expansion at Nanaimo’s Hammond Bay Elementary school, and $18.8 million in seismic safety upgrades at two other Nanaimo elementary schools.

All of the construction is slated to begin this summer and is estimated to complete by September 2022.