As the population of Maple Ridge continues to climb, so too does the number of students enrolled in Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows School District 42.
According to school board chair Elaine Yamamoto, the number of students at SD42 elementary schools is expected to reach 1,250 higher than the 2020 levels by the start of the 2027/28 school year.
In order to accommodate this influx of new students, the provincial government has announced the addition of hundreds of new student spaces in Maple Ridge.
Space for new students will be added to two local schools, for a total increased capacity of 315 kids.
These new spaces come in the form of prefabricated additions, which will be brought to Golden Ears Elementary and Blue Mountain Elementary.
Currently, Golden Ears Elementary has room for 515 students, but with the 195 new seats in the eight-classroom prefabricated addition, this will bring the school's total capacity to 710 students.
The incoming five-classroom addition to Blue Mountain will similarly add 120 seats, increasing the school's capacity to 440 students.
Both of these additions are expected to be ready to host students for the start of the 2025/26 school year, and are only a few of the additions recently announced for school districts all across B.C., announced MLA Bob D'Eith.
"Where previous governments have made cuts to education and closed schools, our BC NDP government has been investing in more schools and more student spaces, including right here in Maple Ridge," said D'Eith.
