(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

West Kelowna is getting a new high school to take pressure off the crowded Mount Boucherie Secondary.

The provincial government is funnelling $100 million to School District 23 for a new 1,200-seat school at the George Pringle Elementary site, according to a news release from the Ministry of Education.

This will be the first new secondary school in the Central Okanagan since 2002, and it's long awaited for the City of West Kelowna.

As Mount Boucherie Secondary School continues to operate with portables to make space for its students, but in five years time, new construction to replace the George Pringle Elementary site on Elliot Road will offer reprieve.

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"This new school will address the significant capacity issues and increasing number of portables at Mount Boucherie Secondary school. The entire community looks forward to providing input on how the new school can meet the needs of our students as well as serving as a community hub," school district board chair Moyra Baxter said in the release.

Current George Pringle students will be moved to other nearby schools, with Webber Road Elementary planned to reopen in September, according to the release.

"Parents and the community are thrilled for the announcement of this new school," says Simon Adams, president of the Central Okanagan Parent Advisory Council. "The Central Okanagan Parent Advisory Council appreciates the government's ongoing support to provide new student spaces throughout our community, which is the fastest-growing community in Canada."

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Along with $102.7 million from the province, the Central Okanagan School District is contributing $3 million to the new building. Construction is expected to start by 2025.

The school will include a neighbourhood learning centre, which is open for community programs like child care, Indigenous or cultural services and family resources, according to the release.

"We know students benefit from learning in vibrant spaces built for 21st-century learning, where students can follow their aspirations and thrive," Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside said in the release. "We have worked closely with the Central Okanagan School Board to invest in a new school that meets the needs of families in the community, now and for future generations."

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It's planned to be built with greenhouse gas reduction strategies, including high-eficiency HVAC and lighting. The building will also include non-combustible materials in its construction, in order to plan for potential climate impacts in the future.

Out of a total $2.6 billion across B.C., the Province has spent a total $153.5 million in the Central Okanagan since 2017, including the new West Kelowna school, H.S. Grenda Middle School in Lake Country and a land purchase in Kelowna's Wilden neighbourhood, according to the release.

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