A potential site for a new southside school has been purchased by the Chilliwack School District.
The 12.43-acre site is located at very end of Tyson Road along the Vedder River.
A final purchase agreement was signed on April 26, with the closing date set for May 31.
Chilliwack trustees discussed the purchase during an in camera meeting on April 11.
According to staff, the education ministry supports the purchase, but has not yet provided funding.
The Chilliwack school district has long cited the need for a new school in the city’s south end.
In February it got some relief when the province stepped forward with $4.8 million for a $6.1 million expansion of Promontory elementary. The school district will fund the rest.
As of Sept. 30, 2016, all elementary schools on the south side were over capacity. Promontory was the worst at 196 per cent of capacity, however the average for the seven elementary schools was 137 per cent. Middle-secondary schools on the south side were at 107 per cent.
The new school site wasn’t the only property acquisition discussed at the April 11 meeting. The school district has also agreed to purchase property adjacent to Evans elementary school to allow for the expansion of that school’s parking lot. The additional space will also improve traffic flow at the school – a chronic complaint at the busy Evans Road location.
