Local MLA Dean welcomes school upgrades for West Shore students

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COLWOOD – New Democrat MLA Mitzi Dean says students in the West Shore are going to see more green, efficient and safe learning spaces thanks to over $2 million in provincial funding for school upgrade projects in School District 62.

“The BC Liberals neglected our public education system for years, leaving behind billions in deferred maintenance costs,” says Mitzi Dean, MLA for Esquimalt-Metchosin. “This funding will make possible the technical upgrades needed to ensure students are learning in a safe and well-maintained environment.”

The Sooke School District (SD 62) is receiving $2,308,448 in funding for school maintenance projects, including:

School Enhancement Program

  • Dunsmuir Middle School
    • Window and mechanical equipment upgrades

Bus Acquisition Program

  • 5 new busses

These funding programs are part of a $217.7-million investment under the Annual Facilities Grant (AFG), School Enhancement Program, Carbon Neutral Capital Program, Building Envelope Program and Bus Acquisition Program, to ensure students have well-maintained learning environments and bus services that are safe, comfortable and efficient. This year’s funding is $32.3-million higher than it was in 2016/17.

After years of underfunding by the previous BC Liberal government, the New Democrat government is delivering an historic level of support to BC students. We’ve added an extra $2.2 billion in operating funding over 2016/17 levels and created a $2.8 billion school capital budget to build, seismically upgrade and expand K-12 schools. To ensure students have a safe place to play, we introduced an annual playground fund, delivering an additional $5 million a year to districts across the province.

Learn More: https://news.gov.bc.ca/21723