Surrey schools projected to remain overcrowded, even with new infrastructure

Surrey is already stretched thin trying to accommodate all of its students, and the situation could get a lot worse, according to new projections presented to city council this week.

Over the next 10 years, Surrey and White Rock are projected to get 58,720 new housing units, says a report from Surrey Schools. That could result in about 11,000 new school-age children looking to register with the district, which is already the largest in the province with 76,977 students in kindergarten to Grade 12.

In the report, Surrey Schools predicts it’ll need an additional 22 new schools, consisting of 17 elementary and five secondary schools. The estimated cost for the total land is $931,635,000. The district also wants to expand one existing school, Port Kells Elementary, and replace Hjorth Road El