SECHELT – Nicholas Simons, MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast says students in Gibsons and Sechelt will benefit from safer, more efficient schools thanks to $600,000 in provincial funding for school upgrade projects in the Sunshine Coast School District.

“Safe and accessible learning environments make our communities stronger,” said MLA Simons. “For too long students were left behind by a provincial government that fought with education, but our government is making different choices. This funding boost represents an investment not only in schools, but in the future of our youth.”

The Sunshine Coast School District (SD 46) is receiving $600,000 in funding for school maintenance projects, including dust collection system upgrades at Chatelech and Elphinstone Secondary schools.

These funding programs are part of a $206 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. This year’s funding is a $500,000 increase from the previous year, and a $20.6 million increase from 2016/17.

Since September 2017, the New Democrat government has approved over $3.5 million for school upgrades in the district, including $800,000 for an air handling unit and boiler replacement at Cedar Grove Elementary.

The New Democrat government has delivered historic levels of funding to B.C. schools, including the biggest operative and capital budgets in B.C. history, an extra $1-billion in classroom funding over 2016/17, $2.7-billion over three years to build, seismically upgrade and expand K-12 schools, and a new annual $5-million playground fund.

Learn More: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019EDUC0019-000324