Provincial funding of $4.2 million was officially announced Monday for a seismic upgrade at Ruth King Elementary in the Sooke school district.
Work began Feb. 1 at the Jacklin Road school, which dates back to 1948, and is expected to be complete in December.
The two-storey section of the building, including the gymnasium, will be the focus of the upgrade.
A single-storey portion was refurbished during a previous seismic project in 1999.
The school has 270 students in kindergarten to Grade 5.
The funding announcement came during a visit by Education Minister Mike Bernier to Dunsmuir Middle School, where an $11.8-million seismic project was completed in late 2016. Bernier was given a tour of the project, which included reinforced walls and strengthened foundations.
District superintendent Jim Cambridge said that three or four portables will be brought to Ruth King to provide space for students during construction. The same plan was implemented at Dunsmuir, where 16 portables were used.
Eight portables have remained at Dunsmuir to accommodate growth at the school, which has 748 students in Grades 6-8.
Grade 8 Dunsmuir student Emma Sjerven said students appreciate the improvements that have been made.
“As a student, knowing you are in a safe and secure environment every day is important.”
Bernier said the seismic projects are just part of the needs for the Sooke district.
“We understand the pressures that are being faced here, one of the fastest growing school districts in British Columbia,” he said.
He said that even with two new high schools having opened in the district in 2015 “we also know that more has to take place because of the pace that you are growing.”
Cambridge said his district continues to look for land to build schools, a process that has been going on since last fall.
Projections have the district growing by about 1,800 students in the next five years.
Willway Elementary is the next district school on the seismic-upgade list, Cambridge said.
