A West Shore high school is getting millions of dollars for a 600-seat expansion the local school district says is badly needed.
B.C. Education Minister Rob Fleming announced Friday that the province will commit $23.2-million for an expansion at Royal Bay Secondary in Colwood that will also include a new gym.
The school is relatively new, having opened just three years ago, but it was already at capacity on the first day of classes.
"Our government is making sure that B.C. students get the quality education they deserve, and that means learning in a positive, healthy environment," Fleming said in a statement. "For too long, investment in West Shore schools did not match the growth of the community. We are fixing this by adding student spaces in fast-growing areas."
The expansion will see the addition of 21 classrooms and a small gymnasium that will be available for community use.
In addition to the provincial funding, the Sooke School District will chip in $2-milion for the upgrades.
"We are so happy the government is on top of how quickly our school district is growing," said Ravi Parmar, Sooke School District Board Chair. "We have a lot of families moving into our district because of our schools, and we are thrilled to be able to give even more students an opportunity to learn in such an inspiring and beautiful space like Royal Bay Secondary."
Construction will begin in September and the expansion is expected to be ready for fall 2020.
The district says it will increase the school's capacity from 800 to 1,400 students, reducing the need for portables at Royal Bay and Belmont secondary schools.
The provincial government has also invested $23.3-million for the district to purchase land in Langford in order to build an elementary school and middle school.
