New schools opening in Langford but more needed to keep up with demand

The new Pexsisen Elementary School in Langford, B.C., is shown. Sept. 2, 2022. (CTV News)

Staff at the brand new Pexsisen Elementary School in Langford, B.C., were hard at work on Friday getting classrooms ready for a new school year.

This week, nearly 500 students arrived for their first day of school.

"It’s very exciting," said Michelle O’Regan, a Grade Two teacher at Pexsisen Elementary School. "It’s the first time I’ve ever moved into a new school."

It’s a much needed facility in a district that has seen massive growth over the last few years. But even the grand opening doesn't account for all the new students who have enrolled in the school district this year.

"We’re going to be probably welcoming close to 600 new students here in the Sooke School District," said Ravi Pamar, chair of the Sooke School District Board of Education on Friday.

It's a year-over-year trend. Over the past two years, roughly 1,400 new students have enrolled in the district.

"We’re continuing to see growth all the time," said Pamar.

Next door, the new 700-seat Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School is still under construction. It was supposed to open this week, but supply chain issues have caused that opening to be delayed until November.

"We’re really excited to be in a growing school district, we just need some more schools," said Pamar.

The Sooke School District says more schools are on the way. On Latoria Road, the new 480-seat South Langford Elementary School will be completed in 2025.

The district is also waiting on funding from the province to build a new secondary school behind Costco in Langford. Two new elementary schools have also been put on the district’s priority list for the coming years.

MID-ISLAND GROWTH

In Nanaimo, B.C., officials are also trying to keep up with recent growth.

"We have a number of schools that are over capacity and have seen their highest enrolment ever," said Scott Saywell, superintendent of schools for Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools.

This year, the 70-year-old Nanaimo District Secondary School (NDSS) will need to accommodate 1,700 students.

The 70-year-old Nanaimo District Secondary School is shown. (CTV News)

"Which again is as high as it’s even been," said Saywell. "All kinds of challenges come along with that and typically that is found by adding portables to the site."

Portables are self-contained classrooms. Across the Nanaimo-Ladysmith district, 75 portables are being used to house students.

A long range facility plan shows that by 2030, the district as a whole will be over capacity by 25 per cent. The only solution is to build more schools.

"We’re looking at that in the long run," said Saywell.