The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District and the City of Maple Ridge are ready to partner in a new school and community centre in the Albion area, and are asking the public to get involved in planning the facility.
There is still no announcement from the education ministry that it will provide the millions of dollars necessary to fund a new school, but city hall and the school district office want to show they are working together.
“It matters when school districts are cooperating and working with the municipality and community partners, and we want to show the strength of that,” said school superintendent Sylvia Russell.
“That’s such a promising thing for us, to be able to work with the community towards a new school and towards facilities for the east end of the district.
“There’s still lots to be worked out – almost every detail is still at the conceptual phase. But it’s the potential of the thing that is so exciting.”
That potential will be explored at public meetings set for Feb. 10 and 25. The first will be 6-9 p.m. at Albion elementary – a school that has been described as “bursting at the seams,” and operating at 125 per cent of capacity.
The workshop will explore ideas for a potential new school, a neighbourhood learning centre and a potential community centre for the fast-growing Albion neighbourhood.
“We have known for a while that there is a need for a new school in the area, and we are pleased to invite the community to envision what that new school, a neighbourhood learning centre and a potential community centre may look like,” said Mike Murray, school board chair.
“This is all visioning at this point. We don’t have a funding announcement yet,” he added. “The municipality needs to find out how they’re going to fund things. But we hope that if we have a good enough vision together we’ll be able to build something special.
He said the district’s pitch to the ministry is made stronger by the cooperation with the city.
“Way stronger. More than that, it makes a better product for the community.”
Mayor Nicole Read campaigned on the need for new schools in the growing eastern neighbourhoods of Silver Valley and Albion.
“The Albion neighbourhood is one of the fastest growing areas of the region and we are very proud to join with our colleagues on the board of education to work together to move from advocacy to the public engagement that will help us develop a strong business case around the development of a new school and community centre for our citizens,” said Read.
Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Marc Dalton is optimistic Victoria will make funding available.
The lobby for funds, ongoing for close to a decade, is made strong because both the school district and city agree the school and community centre is a priority project, that Albion is a fast-growing neighbourhood in the region, and that the school district overall enrollment has reversed years of decline.
District enrolment was up by 418.5 full-time equivalents more than expected this year.
“That’s a marked change, and that’s good,” said Dalton, who added that he lives in Albion, and sees first-hand how quickly the community is growing.
Dalton said he has spoken with education ministers over the years to relay the importance of a new school on Albion, where the district owns land. He visited Albion school with Education Minister Mike Bernier and toured the area in November.
“I’m hopeful. We do need a new school, and I continue to bang that drum,” said Dalton. “I do know it is on the radar, because of the increase in population.”
• To pre-register to attend the Feb. 10 workshop email register@sd42.ca.