November 13, 2025
New elementary school planned for SD40 community
New Westminster, B.C. – New Westminster families can expect a much-needed new elementary school in the city’s downtown area.
Premier David Eby made the official announcement at an event held at Fraser River Middle School (FRMS). The province will commit $65 million to build the facility next to FRMS.
Construction is anticipated to begin in fall 2026, with a target completion date of summer 2028.
“A safer, modern school gives parents peace of mind and it gives children a place to learn and have fun,” said Eby. “This state-of-the-art school will provide generations of children and their families an open door to a lifetime of learning.”
“This is welcome news for local families,” said Jennifer Whiteside, MLA for New Westminster-Coquitlam. “This new school will help ease pressure on existing classrooms and create more opportunities for students.”
“A new downtown elementary school will provide much-needed relief from our district’s capacity pressures and give students and staff the learning spaces they deserve,” said Maya Russell, chair of the Board of Education. The funding has been long-awaited and we are grateful to the ministry for recognizing this urgent need. Our board, partners and parents have strongly advocated for this project and we know families and staff across New Westminster Schools will welcome this news.”
Once finished, the new school will feature:
- Four storeys with underground parking.
- Four kindergarten classrooms.
- Twenty-one classrooms with capacity for 605 seats.
- Green building design that aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 93 per cent.
- Electric vehicle parking stalls.
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