Information Package | Online Survey

Feedback

Until May 12th, 2025, the district is gathering feedback on the relocation of the South Surrey/White Rock Learning Centre to four alternative programs at Grandview Heights, Elgin Park, Earl Marriott and Semiahmoo Secondary Schools, as well as a Hub program. There are several ways to provide your feedback, including an online survey, email, paper feedback form and traditional mail.

• Online Survey (click here to give your feedback online)
• Dedicated Email: consultations@surreyschools.ca
• Paper Feedback Form (see the office at the South Surrey/White Rock Learning Centre to fill out and return the form)
• Traditional Mail:
  SSWR Learning Centre Consultation
  Attn: Continuing Education
  School District No. 36 (Surrey)
  14033 92nd Ave., Surrey, B.C., V3V 0B7

Information

The Surrey School District is launching a consultation process to hear the feedback, opinions, and suggestions of students, staff, parents/guardians, and community members on the relocation of the South Surrey/White Rock Learning Centre to four alternative programs at Grandview Heights, Elgin Park, Earl Marriott and Semiahmoo Secondary Schools, as well as a Hub program.  This information will be important in shaping the future of the Learning Centre model and supports in the South Surrey and White Rock area.

Reasons for Relocation

The current lease of the South Surrey/White Rock Learning Centre expires on June 30^th, 2025, and has not been renewed, and the program is relocating to the four South Surrey/White Rock area secondary schools.  The current program offers a continuous entry and continuous learning program design.  Students attend half-days, either mornings or afternoons, for four days per week, and there are no classes on Fridays. Students can complete Grade 10, 11 and 12 courses leading to graduation in a flexible school setting. The current school facility has limitations that restrict educational programming such as no gym, limited library resources, and very limited elective facilities.

This relocation will continue with the same services and supports for students who attend the current South Surrey/White Rock Learning Centre and will expand on these services and supports in a significant way.  Relocating the program to the four area secondary schools will allow for the following:

• students can choose to attend school full days and five days per week if they wish;
• programs will be closer to students’ homes providing for enhanced regional access;
• students will have access to a wide range of elective programs;
• students will have access to extra-curricular programs, clubs and athletic teams;
• students can partially or fully transition back to a mainstream educational program when they are ready;
• students can access an alternative education model without having to leave their catchment school;
• students can choose to attend the Hub program if an alternative program within a secondary school will not work for them; and
• students can also attend another Learning Centre or one of Surrey’s Education Services programs if an alternative program within a secondary school will not work for them.

Our continued commitment to foster a culture of belonging for each learner will be foundational to these programs. The focus of these alternative programs will also include creating an engaging school setting with flexibility in educational programming that allows for personalization, identifying individual learning needs and offering additional supports where required. 

Financial Considerations

The Surrey School District has a shortfall of approximately $16 million to pass a balanced budget for the 2025-2026 school year.  Based on the 2023-2024 financial results, the annual cost to operate the South Surrey/White Rock Learning Centre is approximately $1.88 million per year with a net deficit of approximately $645,000 per year.

Impact on the Board’s 5-Year Capital Plan

There are 108 students currently attending the South Surrey/White Rock Learning Centre.   Nineteen of these students live outside the White Rock/South Surrey community.  The program is at 65% of capacity.  Approximately 49 students are expected to graduate this June.  The 59 students continuing in the program make up less than 1% of the population of secondary students in the South Surrey and White Rock area, so the four secondary schools will be able to easily accommodate the number of students who will attend the newly relocated program. No changes to the catchment boundaries and the district’s  Five-Year Capital Plan are required. This will also have no impact on the four secondary schools’ catchment boundaries.  Leased facilities and Learning Centre buildings also receive no capital funding from the Ministry of Education and Child Care.

Overall growth in South Surrey and White Rock is continuing, and prior to this relocation, the Board requested funding for additions to Earl Marriott Secondary and Semiahmoo Secondary in the Five-Year Capital Plan, as well as a second secondary school in the Grandview Heights area. The Ministry of Education and Child Care has expressed support for a 20-classroom addition to Grandview Heights Secondary. However, the impact on capacity from the Learning Centre students joining these schools is negligible and doesn’t change the need for additions. 

Listed here are the 5-year enrolment projections for the four secondary schools in the South Surrey/White Rock area.

For adult learners, the district projects about 20 students each year and offers Continuing Education courses for them.

Board-Provided Transportation

As attending the South Surrey/White Rock Learning Centre is a choice for each student, the Surrey School District does not provide transportation. The district does, however, assist students with transit passes due to hardship reasons. This will continue at the four alternative programs in the South Surrey/White Rock secondary schools. With increased regional access to these new alternative programs, students will likely have less distance to travel to get to school.  In addition, the Hub program will be located in a portable at Earl Marriott Secondary, which is fairly close to the current South Surrey/White Rock Learning Centre.

Alternative Community Uses of the South Surrey/White Rock Learning Centre Site

As this is a leased building, the Surrey School District has no authority over what happens with the site. 

How can you be involved?

Surrey Schools believes that students, parents/guardians, staff, and community members’ input is an important part of the consultation process. Please review the information in this package and submit your feedback by completing the consultation survey at surreyschools.ca/consultations . Alternatively, remove the feedback form from this package and return the completed survey to the South Surrey/White Rock Learning Centre, or post to: ATTN: Continuous Learning Department, Surrey Schools, 14033 92 Ave. Surrey B.C. V3V 0B7

All comments and feedback collected during the consultation process will be summarized in a report to the Board of Education, which will be presented at the May 14, 2025 Public Board meeting. All responses can be anonymous, however, feedback from correspondents may be referred to at a subsequent public forum. We encourage you to share your input and suggestions during the consultation process.

The consultation period runs until May 12, 2025.

In addition, an in-person evening forum will be held for students, parents/guardians, staff, and community members to share their input about the relocation of the South Surrey/White Rock Learning Centre to four alternative programs in South Surrey and White Rock secondary schools.

The forum will take place from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on April 15^th at Earl Marriott Secondary 15751 16 Ave, Surrey, BC V4A 1S1