The provincial government has confirmed funding for a new middle school in Kelowna.
The new school, to be located on school district property adjacent to the Apple Bowl, will be called Burtch Road Middle School. It is a $101 million project and will add 800 new seats for students in Grades 7-9.
The site was originally targeted as a potential location for a new secondary school, but size limitations changed the priority to it becoming a smaller-enrolment, middle school.
While a completion date for the new school has not been confirmed yet, it is expected that the new middle school will open up the possibility of École Dr. Knox Valley Middle, which recently underwent an expansion, evolving into a secondary school to serve the Glenmore area, relieving some of the enrolment pressure at École Kelowna Secondary.
"A new middle school in the heart of Kelowna will ease pressure on other schools and offer myriad community connections for our students and families," said Julie Fraser, chair of the Central Okanagan Board of Education, in the provincial news release.
Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma cited that the new school will add to the more than $400 million investment for building and upgrading schools in the Central Okanagan.
"As more families choose Kelowna, we need to make sure students have the schools they need to succeed," stated Ma.
Since 2017, the province has funded nearly 4,400 new spaces for Central Okanagan school students, 1,770 of which are complete.
In the Central Okanagan, construction is currently underway for the new Westside Secondary, and other modular additions have been completed or are currently underway in the past year for existing schools to lower the demand for use of portables.
