The New Westminster school board is asking for $3 million from the Ministry of Education to add a cooling system at New Westminster Secondary School.
The cooling system is the top priority in School District 40’s annual ministry request for minor capital funding.
Secretary-treasurer Bettina Ketcham said the district is planning a project to retrofit NWSS, adding heat pumps on the roof to cool the second and third floor of the building — with a planned ability to expand to the first floor in a separate, later project.
Ketcham noted the first floor of any facility in a multi-storey building is typically cooler than the upper levels.
“We’re hoping that the work surrounding the second- and third-floor cooling capabilities does provide relief across the entire site itself,” she told the board at their Sept. 26 meeting.
Second on the district’s priority list is a $2-million ask for a similar system for Skwo:wech Elementary School.
NWSS and Skwo:wech, the two newest schools in the district, were both designed with substantial amounts of exterior glass and interior glass walls. The two buildings were the hardest-hit among district schools in the spring heat waves that hit the region.
Ketcham said the NWSS project is being prioritized because of the high school’s higher student population and because an existing heat pump at Skwo:wech, when run to its full capacity, does provide some “limited relief” against the heat.
School District 40 has earmarked $500,000 of its existing $3.1-million surplus towards getting the New Westminster Secondary School project off the ground — including hiring consultants to do the necessary planning work so that when the project receives provincial approval, it’s ready to commence work immediately.
The Ministry of Education announces minor capital funding in March 2024, so Ketcham said the district is hopeful it receives approval before spring break. If it does, the goal is to have the new cooling system in place at the high school by the end of summer 2024.
SD40 minor capital plan request: What it’s asking for
Minor capital funding covers school enhancement projects, carbon-neutral capital projects and playground equipment.
New Westminster is asking for $11.2 million in total, which Ketcham acknowledged is more money than is "likely available to be supported" by the province.
School enhancement program
- NWSS cooling project: $3 million
- Skwo:wech cooling project: $2 million
- Queen Elizabeth Elementary HVAC system: $750,000
Carbon-neutral capital program
The district is looking to install air-source heat pumps that rely on electricity rather than gas, at four school sites:
- Queen Elizabeth Elementary: $870,000
- Herbert Spencer Elementary: $1 million
- F.W. Howay Elementary: $1 million
- Lord Kelvin Elementary: $1 million
Playground equipment
The province provides $195,000 for a universally accessible playground at each chosen school. The district’s three priorities, in order, are:
- Lord Kelvin Elementary
- F.W. Howay Elementary
- Skwo:wech Elementary
