School District No. 40 (New Westminster) CAPITAL PROJECTS

The New Westminster School District is currently in the process of planning to construct a new secondary school to replace the existing new Westminster Secondary School building, which would be the largest capital project of its kind ever to be undertaken by the Ministry of Education in the history of the Province. A part of this capital project is the completion of the middle school model across the District, with the construction of a new middle school and a new elementary school on the site where St. Mary's Hospital previously stood on Royal Avenue.

A new "micro site" has been developed and linked here to provide up-to-date information on the project.

The Board of Education has established the following Guiding Principles related to the project:

1. Create a place of excellence in learning for its students, and a cornerstone for the community as a whole.
2. Require a comprehensive plan for the District - three schools linked.
3. Meet the needs of the students - about 3,000 students plus staff and others.
4. Meet the needs of the community - neighbourhoods of learning, amenities.
5. Work within the Ministry's requirements - budget, standards, operational effectiveness.
6. Maximize educational facilities by effective site planning to achieve the best value for money.
7. Create a viable long term solution - operating costs, risk management, future uncertainty.
8. Be adaptable to changing needs.
9. Be expandable to meet growth in demand.
10. Address the unsustainable current operations model for Massey Theatre.
11. Be built on fair negotiation - land exchanges with the City are to be value for value.
12. Time is of the essence; further delay is not acceptable.