Space challenges at Sangster Elementary School mean the school’s music room has been forced to move.
The music programs had been run out of a multi-purpose room which has now had to be made into a permanent classroom. Decisions about where the music program will be run in the future are still being made, but Kristen McGillivray, a spokesperson for the Sooke School District, said there will be space found for the program in the school. Students from the school’s choir performed at the Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival in April.
“While our goal is to have space flexibility in all our schools for dedicated space like art rooms, music rooms, and ADST (applied design, skills and technology) rooms, our first priority is to ensure that there are enough classroom spots for students to attend their in-catchment school. We do consider the impact this has on our schools and therefore, we continue to advocate the need for additional schools and expansions to the Ministry of Education,” McGillivray wrote in an email.
Sangster is not alone, as growth in SD62’s student population continues to squeeze classroom space throughout the district. The district grew by approximately 1,400 students in the 2022/23 school year, with SD62 projecting another 650 students to join the district over the next several months.
That growth means the district has budgeted $1.4 million to move and purchase portables. The average cost to relocate a portable is $200,000 and to purchase a new portable is $400,000.
None was budgeted the year before since two new schools were opening. Pexsisen Elementary School opened in September 2022, with a capacity of 500 students, and the 700-seat Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School opened in November.
Another elementary school in the south Latoria area will open in 2025 and the district has also purchased land in Royal Bay, with plans to build a south Colwood elementary school.