School District 47’s capital upgrade program is underway, with a number of projects happening at qathet region schools.
According to the infrastructure and facilities page on the school district’s website, throughout the year, the district reviews its facilities to make sure they are sufficient to meet educational and recreational goals for its learning community.
The website indicated that each spring, the district makes improvement plans for the following school year. Projects can range in scope from painting walls to building new structures, and all this work involves plans that were mapped out over a span of 12 months, with the majority of work happening during summer when schools are not in session.
The website indicated that for the just-completed 2022-2023 school year, many projects were underway and finished. All schools in the district were improved or maintained in a variety of ways through building enhancements, grounds work, or new equipment. Work included: completion of the artificial turf field replacement at Brooks Secondary School; refinishing the gym floors at Brooks and Westview Elementary School; window replacement and LED lighting upgrades at Texada Elementary School; completing the planning stage for new day care at Edgehill Elementary School and Kelly Creek Community School; installation of solar panels at Henderson Elementary School and Westview; upgrades to field and play area drainage at Edgehill; roofing upgrades at Henderson and James Thomson Elementary School; and washroom upgrades at Henderson.
In addition, in local schools, many other efforts took place, such as painting, fire alarm system replacements, millwork upgrades, new flooring, new fences, plumbing upgrades and more, according to the website.
Funding for capital improvements comes from the school district’s general operating budget, an annual facility grant from the ministry of education, and then additional capital funds can be applied for from the ministry based on identified needs, the website stated.
The school district is in the midst of a busy summer to undertake facilities and maintenance projects for the 2023 to 2024 school year. These include: lighting upgrades at James Thomson and Kelly Creek; construction of a new day-care facilities at Edgehill and Kelly Creek; installation of new portables at Brooks; an outdoor classroom gazebo at James Thomson; covered bike storage at Brooks; washroom renovations at Kelly Creek; mechanical and ventilation upgrades at James Thomson; and continuation with the planning and business case for classroom additions at Edgehill.
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