‘This has by no means been rejected earlier than. We do really feel like we’re caught within the center, that the town is utilizing the college district as a pawn’ — Surrey college board chair Laurie Larsen
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Surrey metropolis council has rejected the Surrey college district’s eligible college websites proposal, an annual enrolment projection that’s required to acquire provincial funding for capital initiatives, leaving the college district in limbo.
“This has by no means been rejected earlier than,” stated Surrey college board chair Laurie Larsen. “This was a complete shock for us.”
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Larsen stated the college district has considerations that it’s being dragged into Surrey’s fast-tracked provincial housing reform package deal designed to extend density on single-family heaps and round transit hubs, and overhaul the way in which municipalities gather charges from builders.
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“The varsity district doesn’t know why this laws will have an effect on our proposed college websites, particularly as a result of this proposal was carried out earlier than this [new legislation] coming into impact,” stated Larsen. “If we want extra housing, then we want extra colleges.”
Larsen stated the college board instantly knowledgeable the ministry that their proposal was rejected. The matter will now be turned over to a ministry-appointed facilitator for decision in accordance with provincial laws. Larsen stated she has no thought how lengthy the method will take.
“Till it may be resolved we are able to’t transfer ahead,” stated Larsen. “We hope it won’t put in jeopardy what we want for 2024-2025 capital initiatives.”
“We’re asking the town to just accept our proposal, we labored collaboratively with the town on it, we used their statistics to determine what number of college students we have to accommodate. It’s actually arduous to accommodate the extra development within the present infrastructure that we now have, so it’s actually vital that we get our capital funding authorized,” stated Larsen.
The district has averaged 2,400 new college students in every of the final two years, has 375 portables in use and has known as the development drawback a disaster for college students and households.
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Larsen stated the Surrey college district is dedicated to working collaboratively with the Metropolis of Surrey and the Ministry of Schooling. “We worth their partnership, and hopefully we are able to work it out.”
The Metropolis of Surrey confirmed to Postmedia that council had defeated the movement to just accept the Surrey college district’s eligible college websites proposal 2024-2025 capital plan, however didn’t present further remark.
In an announcement, the Ministry of Schooling and Youngster Care stated they “will assist the Metropolis and the District in resolving this matter by appointing a facilitator. Whereas it’s too quickly to find out a timeline for this course of, all events share the identical purpose of reaching a decision as shortly as potential with a purpose to higher assist college students and their households in Surrey.”
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