PITT MEADOWS- New Democrat MLAs Lisa Beare and Bob D’Eith say that students in Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge will benefit from a new, safer, and larger school as the province allocates funding to replace Pitt Meadows Secondary School.

“The replacement of Pitt Meadows Secondary School is going to make sure that kids in our communities are safe. This has been a huge priority for me since I was elected, and it has been great to work alongside so many caring advocates here in the community, whether they be parents, school board members, education staff or local government, we have all shared a collective goal of seeing this school built. I’m excited to see the students walking the halls of this new highschool!” said Lisa Beare, MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows. 

Budget 2023 makes record investments in capital infrastructure. Contained in the Budget’s capital envelope is money earmarked for a modern, safe school to replace the current Pitt Meadows Secondary, with capacity for more students, pending approval of the school district’s business plan. 

This builds on recent Government investments in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows school district (SD42), such as the November 2022 announcement to replace Eric Langton Elementary School with a safer, more seismically sound facility and add another nine classrooms, which will increase the school’s capacity to 680 seats. 

“It’s great to see that the government is committing funding to provide safe schools in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows school district. I know first-hand that a lot of hard work has gone into advocating for these funds, and a lot of collaboration. With this replacement of PMSS and the replacement of Eric Langton, it’s wonderful to know that soon even more kids in SD42 will be receiving their education in safer, more comfortable schools,” said Bob D’Eith, MLA for Maple Ridge-Mission.

“Our district is thrilled to receive news that the government will support the Pitt Meadows Secondary School replacement. Providing students in Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge with safe and improved facilities in which to work, learn, and play is a priority of our district. We are thankful to all who have advocated for this project that will help in delivering quality education and addressing the demands of our growing communities.” said Elaine Yamamoto, School Board Chair for SD 42.

Since September 2017, the Government of B.C. has announced more than $3 billion for new and improved schools, as well as land purchases for future schools throughout the province. This includes adding more than 20,000 new student spaces and 33,000 seismically safe seats at B.C. schools.