After numerous public consultations, the Surrey school district has decided to merge two learning centres so it can repurpose one of the sites to become a new elementary school in the over-populated district.
When the idea was first introduced at the regular April 15 school board meeting, Selma Smith, director of instruction at the district, shared how operations would resume if the two learning centres amalgamated into one.
"Students who experience challenges in mainstream schools can be at risk of leaving school, sometimes for a variety of reasons," Smith stated at the Wednesday night (June 12) meeting.
"Alternate education programs have a disproportionate number of children of youth in care, Indigenous learners, children and youth living in poverty, gifted children who may have difficulty in social situations, youth at risk for substance misuse and youth with mental health concerns. Learning centres offer learning experiences and services that support students with their success."
A series of online and in-person public consultations were held with parents and guardians, students and staff to hear their say on the proposed changes, which wrapped up on June 10.
The first option considered for consultation was the merger of City Central and North Surrey Learning Centres.
Other options were also considered in regards to the learning centres, including the possibility of Guilldford Learning Centre relocating to the North Surrey site. The third option was to relocate the City Central students to the modular building on the grounds of Queen Elizabeth Secondary.
After presenting the options to the board, trustees approved the recommendation to merge Guildford Learning Centre students with the ones at North Surrey as of Dec. 1 and to repurpose the City Central Learning Centre site to a new elementary school as of July 1, 2025.
By March of 2025, the decision will be made whether the City Central students will be moving to QE's modular complex or joining the Guildford students at the North Surrey Learning Centre.
Trustee Gary Tymoschuk said that while any change is challenging, the North Surrey Learning Centre has extra capacity and this change would allow for better use of available space.
According to school district projections, an additional elementary school in the central city region of Surrey is "urgently needed" as data shows there will be a 226-seat shortfall for elementary seats by 2032.
The site of the City Central learning centre was used as an elementary school prior to 2012, called Discovery Elementary, with nine classrooms, a library, outdoor field, and two large portables situated on five acres of land.
The Guildford Learning Centre is located in a mixed-use building, with increasing leasing costs posing a challenge to the district to keep it running at that site. With the lease expiring on Nov. 30, moving the 167 students to the North Surrey site will be more cost-efficient, Smith indicated.