Construction on another Surrey elementary school could begin within the next month, says the district spokesperson.
A $23.4-million construction contract has been awarded to Pro-Can Construction Group Corp. for the new 605-seat school, Maddaugh Road Elementary, according to Surrey School’s website. The school will be located at 19405 76 Ave.
Surrey Schools said that once Maddaugh Road is open it “will help alleviate overcapacity at schools in the North Clayton area when occupied in 2021.”
The district says that “preparatory construction work” on the new elementary is underway, and district spokesperson Doug Strachan said construction is “likely to start next month.”
Strachan said the district “anticipates” Maddaugh Road will be ready for students and teachers in January of 2021.
Surrey School District's Capital Plan. See this video https://t.co/wclul7D1l0 which gives an overview of coming new schools and additions. #capital #SurreyBC #sd36learn #whiterock #cloverdale
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“We’ll assess the practicality of opening the school then and splitting classes mid-year at neighbouring schools, or waiting until September 2021.”
Minister of Education Rob Fleming said in a news release that with this “important step now complete,”hundreds of Surrey children are one step closer to walking through the doors of a brand new Maddaugh Road Elementary School.”
This construction announcement comes less than a month after the district announced construction would begin on a 12-classroom addition at Pacific Heights Elementary in South Surrey.
On Dec. 20, 2018, the district said construction for the Pacific Heights addition would begin in the new year, “with occupancy expected in spring 2020.” Pacific Heights, according to the district, has nine portables on the site, and “enrolment continues to grow.”
Back in November of 2018, the Now-Leader reported that five Surrey Schools projects were delayed after bids to build them came in too high. Two of the five projects were Maddaugh Road and Pacific Heights.
RELATED: Over-budget bids cause delay of five Surrey school projects,Nov, 20, 2018
At the time, Strachan said the district went to tender, “and the lowest tender was still higher than what the project agreement (with the ministry) called for, in the budget for the school.”
Both Maddaugh Road and Pacific Heights projects “are the result of the work and commitment of the Capital Project Office partners, including the district, the ministry and City of Surrey representatives,” according to a news release on the district’s website.
The two contracts, according to the release, “reflects increased funding provided by the Ministry of Education and the Surrey School District because of changing market conditions.”
Now, Strachan said the districts expects the delayed projects “to all get underway before summer.”
The remaining delayed projects are: An Edgewood Drive area elementary (at 16666 23rd Ave., approved by the province Dec. 12, 2017), a new Grandview Heights Secondary (at 16987 25th Ave., approved on Oct. 10, 2016), and a new Douglas area elementary school (17335 2nd Ave., approved on April 30, 2018).
Surrey Board of Education chairperson Laurie Larsen said in a news release that she’s “very excited for 2019.”
“I expect we will see construction underway this year that will add close to 5,000 additional seats for students and that is fantastic news.”
lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com
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