Infrastructure Capacity - Building and Sustaining Our Schools

A school system shouldn't just react to the community we have today; it must anticipate the community we will become tomorrow. Right now, our district is at a critical crossroads. Mass densification, rapid population growth, and shifting demographics mean our Tri-Cities neighborhoods are evolving faster than ever.

Actionable Steps:

• Support A Proactive Funding Model Provincial capital allocation has forced school districts into a cycle of reactive overcrowding management. Under the current provincial model, construction dollars are rarely released for builds until school grounds are already packed with portables and local classrooms are overflowing. We need to break this cycle. Our municipalities plan for growth by mapping out roads, utilities, and parks at the same time. By integrating school budgets alongside critical infrastructure right from the start of municipal project planning, we ensure that a community's actual educational needs are embedded into the very foundation of its growth.

• Holding the Line on Active Construction: While we fight for systemic funding changes, we must tightly manage the major capital projects currently underway to ensure they are delivered on time, with minimal disruption to families:

  • Hazel Trembath Elementary Rebuild: Following the devastating 2023 fire, construction on this $39-million, 240-capacity facility is scheduled to begin this July, with a target move-in date of December. While we are grateful for the provincial funding to bring these students home, this project highlights our core issue: the structure was funded strictly to match yesterday's numbers, failing to forward-think and build in the extra space needed for Port Coquitlam’s future growth.

  • Burke Mountain Secondary & Middle School: Opening for the upcoming school year, this brand-new facility will temporarily house 1,000 students in Grades 6 through 12 under one roof. This joint-school model is a necessary band-aid to relieve immediate overcrowding and cross-catchment strains on the mountain.