Surrey

Upcoming Events

8 new schools now! A rally for Surrey education

  • Sunday, March 13, 1 – 2 pm
  • Holland Park near the fountains. 13428 Old Yale Road

More info: Facebook event page

2011 Updates

CTV News: Rally calls on Clark to solve Surrey school overcrowding

March 13, 2011

Protesters rallied in Surrey, B.C. Sunday, calling on the province’s new premier Christy Clark to fund eight new schools to ease the burden on the city’s crowded classrooms.

The Surrey school district is one of the few in the province with increasing enrollment; roughly 800 people move to the city every month, and about 4,000 new students have entered the system since 2005.

But government critics say funding has failed to keep up. Dozens braved the rain Sunday in jackets and sheltered by umbrellas, chanting “Eight new schools” and challenging Clark to live up to her “family first” platform.

“This must happen now,” Denise Moffatt of the Surrey Teachers’ Association told the crowd. “Not tomorrow, not next week, not in a month, not in a year. We need new schools now.”

The rally follows massive walk outs at Lord Tweedsmuir and Earl Marriot high schools, where students picketed a decision to extend the school timetable to accommodate the growing student population.

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts says she’s spoken with Clark, and is optimistic that cash could be coming as early as this spring.

“I’m really encouraged,” Watts said. “But again, we’ve been waiting since 2005 for capital funding which has not materialized.” Read more

Surrey North Delta Leader: Made-in-Surrey solution needed for school woes

February 24, 2011

Sheila Reynolds – Surrey North Delta Leader

The Surrey School District needs $250 million. Now.

That would provide two new high schools, says District Supt. Mike McKay, and four or five new elementary schools.

It would also help reduce the sea of portables sitting at schools such as Hazelgrove and Cambridge elementaries and relieve pressure at some local high schools where simply navigating crowded hallways between classes can be difficult.

Instead however, thousands of Surrey’s elementary school kids will continue to learn in portable classrooms and every high school is looking at extending days or expanding online options in order to accommodate more teens.

In an editorial board meeting with The Leader and Peace Arch News Wednesday, McKay, as well as Surrey Board of Education chair Laurae McNally and vice-chair Shawn Wilson, shared the ongoing financial strains and complexities faced by the ever-growing district.

Surrey ushered in more than 800 new students last fall and is expecting another 1,167 or so to arrive this September. Read more

CTV News: Surrey schools at the breaking point

Feb 17, 2011

Schools in Surrey, B.C. are facing over-crowding and a $10-million budget shortfall, and the school board says it’s not getting much help from the government.

With new housing developments spreading across the city, students have been showing up at Surrey schools in record numbers.

Earl Marriott Secondary in South Surrey and Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary in Cloverdale are both 20 per cent over capacity, with limited room to add more portable classrooms.

But there’s no money in sight to relieve the pressure.

“There hasn’t been approval for funds to build a new school since the 2005-2006 school year. Last year alone we had about 1,200 new students,” school district spokesman Doug Strachan told CTV News.

Next fall, the school board needs to slash $10 million from its budget to maintain current services.

At the same time, the two crowded secondary schools will move to an extended school day, with grades eight and nine starting early and senior grades shifted later.

Read more

Contact Surrey MLAs

MLA Gordon Hogg, Surrey White Rock (BC Liberal)

MLA Stephanie Cadieux, Surrey Panorama (BC Liberal)

MLA Dave Hayer, Surrey-Tynehead (BC Liberal)

MLA Kevin Falcon, Surrey-Cloverdale (BC Liberal)

MLA Jagrup Brar, Surrey-Fleetwood (NDP)

MLA Sue Hammell, Surrey Green Timbers (NDP)

  • Constituency office: 100 – 9030 King George Highway, Surrey, V3V 7Y3, Telephone: 604 590-5868

MLA Harry Bains, Surrey Newton (NDP)

  • Constituency office: 102 – 7380 King George Highway, Surrey, V3W 5A5, Telephone: 604 597-8248

2010 Archives

Surrey approves deep cuts

Surrey will only be able to hire 5 extra teachers to serve 1,300 more students expected next year, and other programs like libraries and special ed will be cut to balance a provincial funding shortfall.

Here is a link to the original budget proposals outlining where they will have to cut to offset a $12 million Provincial funding shortfall for next year, despite growing enrolment: Read the proposals

News

Vancouver Sun: Surrey to push province for more education funding

October 19, 2010

Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun

Business and education leaders have joined forces to press the B.C. government for more funding for the Surrey school district and to demand additional post-secondary spaces in the South Fraser region.

In a campaign launched today, they plan to raise community awareness about the important role that education plays in the success of businesses. Read more

Meanwhile, BC’s new Education Minister, George Abbott continues to claim that BC’s schools are not underfunded. Read more 

Surrey Leader: Advocating investment in education

Sheila Reynolds – Surrey North Delta Leader

October 19, 2010

Why should businesses care about education?

Because, explained Surrey Board of Trade (SBOT) president Nigel Watkinson at a Tuesday luncheon, older workers are retiring, there is a shortage of skilled tradespeople, students who are educated close to home are more likely to work close to home and employers need literate employees.

“Education is key to a strong economy,” he said prior to introducing “a unique partnership with a united voice.”

The Surrey Board of Trade, Surrey School District and two Surrey universities have banded together for the first time to advocate for sufficient funding and resources for the city’s education system, from primary to post-secondary. Read more

Vancouver Sun: Program worked for our son

Oliver Hofer, Letter to the Editor

July 3, 2010

Back in 2008, our nine-year-old son was diagnosed with a learning disability. Going into Grade 4, he began to lash out because he didn’t understand as his peers did, and felt very alone. We had to visit the hospital to get control of the situation. Many visits to a psychologist, along with some medication, toned the problem down but didn’t solve it.

He backed away from many activities during this rebellion. We felt helpless, but he made it through Grade 4.

Grade 5 was ahead, and we knew we had to go in a different direction. We heard about the Intensive Literacy Program. Each of its classes accepts between 10 and 20 students per year. We had to fight hard to get our son in.

I am writing today to say thank you for saving my son. It’s a tremendous program. He grew so much in it. He has improved academically, and his confidence in school as a whole has grown.

I plead with our government to expand this program and not let it become an easy target for school cuts. Read more

Surrey North Delta Leader: Surrey proceeds with school cuts

June 11, 2010

Sheila Reynolds – Surrey North Delta Leader

He thought last year’s budget was difficult to balance.

But after going through this year’s arduous process which saw the Surrey School District pare more than $12 million from its bottom line, secretary-treasurer Wayne Noye’s perspective changed.

“I think this year has been far, far more difficult,” Noye said after trustees passed the 2010/2011 operating budget worthy nearly a half-billion dollars Thursday evening. “If we look into the future, it looks very challenging.”

As was revealed in a preliminary budget made public in April, part of the $12.3-million shortfall will be made up by shifting specialty teachers such as counsellors, learner support team members and teacher-librarians into regular classroom positions, saving more than $5 million. It will mean about a 25 per cent reduction in counselling services in schools and a marked reduction in library time at some schools. Read more

Surrey North Delta Leader: Reconsider school counsellor cuts, Surrey teachers urge

May 21, 2010

Sheila Reynolds – Surrey North Delta Leader

More crisis situations, classroom stressors and academic difficulties can be expected and higher drop-out rates will likely result from having fewer school counsellors in Surrey schools.

The warning comes from a group of elementary level counsellors, who have written a report on the effect of such staffing changes in the school district.

In an attempt to address a $12.3-million shortfall in the coming school year, the Surrey School District has announced plans to reassign specialist teachers, including counsellors, to regular classroom duties. The reorganization will mean a 25-per-cent reduction in counselling services in local schools. Read more

Surrey North Delta Leader: Two-week spring break a go in Surrey

May 21, 2010

Sheila Reynolds – Surrey North Delta Leader

Students in Surrey will again get a two-week spring break next year.

Board of education members voted unanimously Thursday to support the change to the school calendar.

It’s estimated cutting the additional five days from the coming school year will save Surrey between $600,000 and $800,000. Read more

The Tyee: BC’s biggest school district faces cuts as enrolment grows

May 12, 2010

Crawford Killian – The Tyee

The irony is hard to miss: While most B.C. school districts have lost funding because of declining enrolments, a few are growing — none more than Surrey. Yet Surrey’s growing student numbers are only compounding its funding problems. Read more

Surrey Now: Layoff notices for hundreds of teachers

Carolyn Cooke, Surrey Now

May 11, 2010

Hundreds of Surrey teachers have received layoff notices as the district struggles to address a $12.3 million deficit.

Denise Moffat, president of the Surrey Teachers’ Association, said 380 teachers have gotten notices — the highest number they’ve seen in a long time. Read more 

Vancouver Sun: Parents can’t rest until children with special needs get help they deserve

CTV News: Surrey school board cuts jobs, considers extended break

April 29, 2010

As many as 100 full-time staff positions will be cut from schools in Surrey, B.C., and five days could be removed from the school year to address a $12.3-million budget shortfall.

Althought the board has voted to making the staffing cuts, it has also predicted that increases in enrolment will generate 70 new jobs next year. Almost 1,300 new students are expected to be added to Surrey classrooms in September. Read more

Surey Leader: Surrey school staff cut, shuffled to save $12 million

Sheila Reynolds – Surrey North Delta Leader

April 29, 2010

Despite the fact there will be nearly 1,300 new students entering Surrey schools in the fall, the district is planning on hiring just five new teachers in the coming school year.

“This is considerably below the staffing increase that would be in place if we were able to maintain the current service levels,” Supt. Mike McKay wrote in a staff memo earlier this month about the district’s “difficult” operating budget decisions as it addresses an anticipated $12.3-million shortfall. Read more

Surrey Now: Jobs, programs will be cut 

Ted Colley, Surrey Now

March 19, 2010

Jobs will be lost and programs cut as Surrey’s school district tries to make the most of another short-change budget from Victoria announced earlier this week.

The provincial government kicked in an extra $5 million to cover the cost of a pay raise for teachers due this summer.

“Our staff predictions were just about right on,” said school board chair Laurae McNally.

“They figured we’d be short about $17 million this year. The ministry has given us the $5 million for the teachers’ raise, but they’re not funding increased teachers’ pension plan contributions or increased MSP premiums.”

Those two costs alone add up to $4.1 million for the 2010-11 fiscal year and there are others the budget allocation won’t cover. All in all, the district budget is about $12 million shy of what’s needed, McNally said. Read more

Surrey School District: ‘There will be jobs and programs lost’

By Sheila Reynolds | Surrey Leader

January 28, 2010

Imagine there is one dollar on the table. And there are two children with equally important needs. One is in a class in an inner-city school that benefits from a meal program, while the other is learning in a portable classroom that desperately needs a bathroom. You can only give the money to one – it’s not an option to give each of them 50 cents. What do you do? Read article

Online petition

Public education advocates have started an online petition urging the province to fully cover local education costs. The petition will be given to area MLAs to present to the Legislature. Click here to sign 

(After you sign, you will be redirected to a page that requests a donation to help cover the costs of hosting this site. Donations are optional – just close the page if you’re not interested.) 

Surrey DPAC takes action

Surrey’s District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) has written a letter urging government to fully fund the increased cost pressures the district is facing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2010

Surrey District Parent Advisory Council Position on Surrey School District Deficit

The Surrey School District has proven to be a fiscally responsible school district. They are often leaders in fiscal responsibility in the province. However this year our District is facing a mountain of downloaded debt from the Provincial government. Currently we are estimating an approximate budget shortfall of 18 to 20 million dollars which we feel the Provincial government should be responsible to cover. Read the full statement