Construction of Valleyview Secondary expansion officially underway

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The expansion at Valleyview Secondary School is expected to be finished by 2022.

Construction of the Valleyview Secondary School expansion — which will add 525 seats — has officially started.

Up until now, crews have been preparing the site, SD73 spokesperson Diana Skoglund tells Castanet.

The province is providing $32.7 million for the project, which includes a plan for 20 new classrooms, a new gym, a multipurpose space, special education classrooms and improved parking and play areas. The Kamloops-Thompson School District is contributing $1.75 million.

“The Board of Education is thrilled the Valleyview Secondary School project is moving ahead. The students and staff in Valleyview will benefit from this substantial expansion to the existing building and more modern learning environments tailored to the newly revised curriculum,” Rhonda Kershaw, the recently acclaimed chair of the Kamloops-Thompson Board of Education, tells Castanet.

The expansion is anticipated to open by September 2022. This will raise the school's capacity from 675 students to 1,200, and eliminate the nine portables currently in use.

"Kamloops is a growing community, and we are working quickly to ensure students are learning in positive and engaging environments," Rob Fleming, the Minister of Education, said in a press release. "In addition to getting students out of portables, the school community will also benefit from a new gymnasium, enhancing access to physical health opportunities."