As the City of Kamloops looks to find ways to meet provincially-mandated housing targets, the Kamloops-Thompson School District is hoping there will be announcements about new schools from the BC Government to meet a growing population.

SD73 Board Chair Heather Grieve says many schools in the district are facing a space crunch, with things expected to worsen as SD73 is projecting to add an estimated 150 students a year over the next 10 years, to reach around 17,000 students.

Grieve tells Radio NL a number of schools in southwest Kamloops in particular are bursting at the seams, with schools in the city on average expected to be at 106 per cent of capacity by 2029.

“We identified with the city – and the city is aware of this – that maybe there are real opportunities for joint advocacy in those areas [of Kamloops],” Grieve said on NL Mornings.

“If you don’t have the housing in combination with the schools, then you have a population who arrives in Kamloops or they move to certain areas within the community, and there are no schools with space for their kids.”

The new SD73 Long-Range Facilities Plan lists Sa-Hali Secondary as sitting at 131 per cent capacity, while South Kamloops Secondary is at 110 per cent. McGowan Park, Pacific Way, and Dufferin elementary schools are the busiest, sitting at 160 per cent, 156 per cent, and 152 per cent respectively.

In fact, ten schools – McGowan Park, Dufferin, Pacific Way, Dallas, Juniper Ridge, Westmount, Aberdeen, and Beattie elementary schools along with Sa-Hali and South Kamloops secondaries – are at or over 120 per cent capacity, according to the report by SD73 Director of Facilities, Art McDonald.

“It creates a significant conflict within our community in terms of how do we support children,” Grieve added. “We are wanting to really see if we can decrease portable usage, and actually have people who are in bricks and mortar schools learning in a way that they need.”

“We have been in a great need of capital for quite a period of time.”

A rebuilt Parkcrest Elementary and the reopening of George Hilliard Elementary, will help ease some of the pressure in North Kamloops, according to SD73. Construction on a new school in Pineview Valley is expected to begin this year, while the Province has also committed to a new elementary school in Batchelor Heights.

Grieve says a new high school in Aberdeen to take the pressure of South Kam, Sa-Hali, and Valleyview is the top capital priority for SD73.

“We can no longer manage the continued growth of SKSS and Sa-Hali,” Grieve added. “Valleyview will hold for a while, but that is not the solution to our issues on the south shore. So unless we have that Aberdeen site, knowing that these new housing starts are coming, are they coming with schools identified, and school funding? Not that we are aware of.”

Also on that priority list is a new elementary school in Juniper West, a K to 12 school in Sun Peaks, and new elementary schools in Aberdeen East and West.

In his report, McDonald said at least half of the existing schools in SD73 will need to be replaced in the next 20 years, as they approach the end of their 60-year-lifespan. He said about 87 per cent of SD73’s school buildings are over 40 years old, with 58 per cent over 50 years of age.

“The District has a long history of using all available funding for maintenance upgrades of its schools to the greatest extent possible,” McDonald said, noting the school buildings are “in good condition relative to their age.”

“As per the District’s capital plan, SD73 requires capital funding for projects such as new schools, additions, and replacement schools from the Ministry of Education and Child Care to alleviate pressure caused from significant growth, high capacity utilization and enrolment pressures in several areas of the District,” McDonald added.

“These projects are required urgently, as such projects take several years to design and construct.”

You can find the 2023-24 Long-Range Facilities Plan here.