COLWOOD – Esquimalt-Metchosin MLA Mitzi Dean says students in the West Shore will benefit from safer, more efficient and comfortable schools thanks to over $3 million in provincial funding for school upgrade projects in the Sooke School District.

“We’re making an historic investment in education in our province and this funding comes on top of announcements for the Royal Bay Secondary expansion, and $23.3 million to buy land for a new elementary and middle school in Westhills,” said MLA Dean. “This is good news for students and teachers in the West Shore.”

Sooke School District (SD 62) is receiving $3,381,049 in total funding, including:

• $1,250,000 in School Enhancement Program funding for building enclosure upgrades at Ruth King Elementary, and dust collection system upgrades at Dunsmuir Middle, Spencer Middle, and Edward Milne Secondary schools.
• $475,396 in School Bus Replacement Program funding for three replacement busses.
• $1,655,653 in Annual Facilities Grant (AFG) funding, which flows to the Sooke School District annually for routine school maintenance costs.

These funding programs are part of a $198-million provincial investment under the Annual Facilities Grant, School Enhancement Program, Carbon Neutral Capital Program and Bus Replacement Program, to ensure students have well-maintained learning environments and bus services that are safe, comfortable and efficient.

The provincial government has boosted school maintenance funding by more than $20 million over last year, and has increased the AFG for the first time since 2004/05. The increase in funding will help ensure that students, teachers and school district staff can focus their energy where it matters most – in the classroom.

Link to Provincial release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018EDUC0015-000500