Sardis Secondary in Chilliwack to undergo $40 million expansion
CHILLIWACK — Sardis Secondary School in Chilliwack is poised to accommodate up to 400 more students thanks to a $40 million capital investment from the provincial government.
According to a news release from the provincial government, capacity at Sardis Secondary will increase from the current 1,200 student seats to 1,600 pupils. The 400-capacity two-storey addition includes mass-timber construction aimed at reducing the school’s carbon footprint by emitting fewer greenhouse gases.
“We are committed to ensuring schools can accommodate the growing number of students in Chilliwack,” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care, during a news conference Tuesday (June 11) in Chilliwack. “This investment in Sardis Secondary school is a crucial step towards providing communities with the services they need as the school district welcomes new students.”
The Province has approved funding for more than 3,000 new student spaces in Chilliwack over the past six years that amount to over $214 million. Schools that are completed include Vedder Elementary, Stitos La Toti Elementary/Middle, Imagine High Arts and Technology and GW Graham Secondary. The new Eastside Elementary School on McGrath Road is undergoing design development.
Sardis Secondary’s gym will be renovated to enable more students to participate in indoor exercise activities.
Since September 2017, the B.C. government says it has provided more than $4 billion for new and improved schools, and land purchases for future schools throughout the province. This has resulted in more than 25,000 new student spaces and more than 35,000 seismically safer seats at B.C. schools.
The 2024 budget allocates $3.75 billion for school capital projects over the next three years, including new and expanded schools, seismic upgrades and replacements, and land purchases for future schools.