Three schools in Surrey are on the receiving end of more prefabricated modular classrooms to handle overcrowding in the district.
Announced Tuesday afternoon (June 25) at Old Yale Road Elementary, the additional prefabricated modules will be coming to that school as well as Latimer Road and William Watson elementary schools, Education Minister Rachna Singh shared.
Old Yale Road will be getting 17 classrooms, while Latimer Road will be receiving six and William Watson 12 for the fall 2025 semester.
“This announcement is an important step in the right direction and welcome news for many families in Surrey who are experiencing capacity challenges in their neighbourhood schools,” Laurie Larsen, chair of Surrey school board, said in a press release.
“The additional classroom space is vital in allowing us to welcome and educate the hundreds of new students and families moving to our district every year, and continue to provide comfortable and inviting environments for all of our students and staff to learn, work and grow.”
Modular classrooms will have washrooms, classrooms, and corridors with heat and air conditioning, making them an upgraded portable-style classroom for the district.
Other schools in the process of having prefabricated classrooms on-site include Martha Currie, Walnut Road, Lena Shaw and Woodland Park elementary schools. At these schools, the new classrooms will open to students in the upcoming fall semester.
“Our population is growing and Surrey is welcoming students at a much higher rate than ever before,” said Bruce Ralston, Surrey-Whalley MLA.