The evolution of education: Surrey Schools takes on change in the 2025-26 school year
With the first week of school upon us, the district is entering the 2025-26 school year facing an ever-changing learning landscape in Surrey and White Rock, with artificial intelligence and hybrid learning at the forefront of this new frontier.
With 106 elementary schools, 21 secondary schools, two learning centres and one online school, Surrey Schools is the largest and fastest growing school district in British Columbia, and one that is embracing change to how learning is done inside and outside of the classroom. This year, the district will continue to explore the use of AI in preparing students for the future, along with hybrid learning models for Grade 10 to 12 secondary students as post-secondary institutions and workplaces embrace remote learning and working options.
“As we enter another exciting school year, Surrey Schools continues to provide innovative and engaging learning experiences for students across the district while ensuring welcoming environments for Surrey and White Rock families,” said Gary Tymoschuk, Chair of the Surrey Board of Education. “Our board remains dedicated to working with the Ministry of Education and Child Care to create more student spaces, manage enrolment and address the growing needs of our school communities.
“We continue to uphold the board’s priority for all our students and staff to have safe and inclusive learning environments where they can work, play and learn.”
So what’s new this year?
New schools opening in Surrey
The 2025-26 school year starts with the opening of Theresa Clarke Elementary (13104 109th Ave.), named after the late Kwantlen elder, with the school name gifted to the district by the Kwantlen First Nation. Clarke grew up on the Kwantlen territory, and though she was partially blind, she knew Surrey extensively and memorized the land by counting steps. The school name also includes the traditional name “stəqʷaθen” meaning “across from but facing you; a Village on Surrey Side near Qiyqet.”
Later in the school year, the district will celebrate the opening of Snokomish Elementary (5855 148th St.), a new 27-classroom school that will create 655 spaces for kindergarten to Grade 7 students. The three-storey school will provide relief to overcrowding at nearby Cambridge, Goldstone Park, Sullivan and École Woodward Hill elementary schools in the growing Sullivan area.
(For the latest on the progress of new schools and additions in Surrey & White Rock, see our School Construction Progress Chart).
Many schools expanding
Students at South Meridian Elementary and Semiahmoo Trail Elementary are beginning their first full school year with new eight- and 10-classroom additions, bringing much needed enrolment relief in South Surrey.
Lena Shaw, Walnut Road and Woodland Park elementary schools are also starting the year with more space with the openings of their prefabricated additions bringing 36 new classrooms to the district. Walnut Road is also slated to open an additional four classrooms later this year with a small expansion to its new prefabricated addition.
Additionally, work is in process for an addition to Forsyth Road Elementary and five more prefabricated additions for École Martha Currie, George Greenaway, Latimer Road, Old Yale Road and William Watson elementary schools, creating 69 classrooms.
For new additions to secondary schools, construction is underway at Guildford Park Secondary and Kwantlen Park Secondary, with Tamanawis Secondary to follow shortly. A four-storey addition to Fleetwood Park Secondary is in the design phase. Collectively, the four additions will create 93 classrooms for 2,325 students, with the additions scheduled to open between Fall 2027 and January 2029.
Hybrid learning for senior secondary students
This year, the district is piloting hybrid courses for Grade 10 to 12 students, offering select subjects in a combined online and in-class learning model. Hybrid learning allows students the flexibility of self-paced, independent learning while promoting digital literacy and critical thinking, and still providing opportunities for real-world collaboration and student engagement. Students participating in hybrid learning will have equitable access to technology provided by the district to ensure their success in and out of the classroom.
Other initiatives:
- Artificial Intelligence – Stemming from last year, the district is continuing to examine how AI can enhance both effective teaching and student learning, equipping students with the necessary skills to navigate a world embracing artificial intelligence. To get you up to speed on all things AI, visit surreyschoolsone.ca/ai to watch our Navigating an AI Future video series, as well as recordings of our two AI parent forums at the Bell Performing Arts Centre.
- Racial Equity – The district remains committed to its work in the five-year Racial Equity Strategic Plan to address systemic racial disparities, promote cultural responsiveness and empower every individual within our diverse school communities. Launched in 2023, the plan outlines four priorities for the district by 2028, including advancing racial equity initiatives, responding to all forms of racism, ongoing education and professional development, and infusing culturally responsive curriculum and resources.
- Accessibility – The Surrey Schools Accessibility Plan is also well underway, plotting a three-year course for the district to improve the experiences for students, staff, families and community members with disabilities, and provide equitable access to opportunities. The district is gathering feedback through two open-ended surveys, one to provide feedback on the accessibility plan and a second to identify barriers to accessibility in the district.
