A yellow school bus from the Central Okanagan School District.

(JOHN MCDONALD / iNFOnews.ca)

With a fast growing student population, comes a growing pressure on the Central Okanagan School District and Ministry of Education to build more schools. Until then, money will continue to be redirected from other essential operating costs to pay for portable classrooms.  

The Central Okanagan District relies on these portable, temporary classrooms more than almost any other district in British Columbia.

The Central Okanagan School Board Chair, Lee-Ann Tiede, says portable classrooms put pressure on other school facilities.

“Unfortunately, portables do not come with washrooms, learning commons, or gymnasiums,” Tiede told iNFOnews.ca. “Increasing classroom space with portables puts increased pressure on the other areas of the schools.”

According to Tiede, this year saw an increased headcount of 696 students in the district, including more than 470 newcomers to Canada.

“Our staff are doing incredible work to welcome newcomers, but need space to support this rapid growth,” she said.

The district is currently operating at 107% capacity which, Tiede said, is unsustainable for both operational costs and supporting student learning.

The current system has resulted in 128 portable schools rooms being needed across the Central Okanagan School District this past year. Portables are funded by the district’s operational grants, which ultimately takes valuable money away from staffing and other operational costs.

The Ministry of Education receives an annual five-year capital plan submission from all public school districts, which each request funding for their capital projects. The Board, however, continues to advocate to the Province for better funding.

“We need a continued focus on fast-tracking modular additions and new schools because we are one of the fastest growing communities in the country,” Tiede said.

When asked whether the Central Okanagan is at a disadvantage because it must spend money on portable classrooms instead of other vital operation costs, the Ministry of Education gave no clear answer in a written statement. iNFOnews.ca's request for an interview was denied.

The Ministry did say it has invested nearly $176.85 million for projects in the Central Okanagan School District and has created more than 2,100 new spaces for students since 2017.

However, despite this funding, portables are still crucial to the district’s operation.

It also said that a record number of people are choosing to make BC their home, which accounts for the growth in school enrolments and the rising need for portables.

“The province is working closely with school districts like School District 23 to find innovative ways to address enrolment growth and build more classrooms that will benefit students and families in the community faster, while alleviating budget pressures,” the ministry told iNFOnews.ca in the written response.

When asked if the Ministry is working on alternative funding or increasing grants to help school districts cover the costs of portables, it alluded to future funding and expansions, but offered no clear details or numbers.

“As the government continues to invest in the services people need, there will be more capital expansions coming to high-growth communities and we look forward to sharing the details of those announcements soon,” it said in the statement.

Over the past six years the Province has invested $4 billion in new schools. In the Central Okanagan, this money has been spent on George Pringle Secondary school in West Kelowna, HS Grenda Middle School, the acquisition of the Wilden Elementary site in Kelowna, and the current construction of an addition at Dr. Knox Middle School.

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