Major Capital Programs

Jul 17, 2026

Major Capital Programs include large, long-term projects which fall into two funding streams - and School Expansion Program (EXP) and Seismic Mitigation Program (SMP).

Once the VSB determines its highest priority EXP and SMP projects, it includes them in its Annual Five-Year Major Capital Plan. Major Capital Plans are approved annually by the Board prior to submission to the Ministry each June. The Ministry reviews capital plan submissions from school boards across BC and informs school districts of supported project(s) through the Capital Budget Outcomes and Next Steps Letter the following spring. You can find out more about this process and see the most recent capital plan submissions here: Five-Year Capital Plan Submission.

The VSB is responsible for managing capital projects throughout the feasibility, design and construction phases. Each Project Team consists of:

Vancouver Project Office (VPO) and VSB staff
School principal
Consultants (architect and engineers)
Contractors

School Expansion Program (EXP)

The VSB reviews its current and projected long-term enrolment demand and compares it against its existing school capacities on an annual basis. It analyzes the long-term enrolment needs across Vancouver and identifies areas where additional capacity is needed. Forecasts incorporate factors such as where students live, birth rates, migration patterns, housing developments, and geography.

When sustained enrolment pressures are identified the VSB then prioritizes requests for capital funding for capacity expansion. Potential projects for capital funding are weighted and ranked to consider factors like strategic priorities, expansion areas, possibilities for school replacement, and reconciliation considerations. The key objectives include:

support education programming opportunities;
enable students to attend their catchment school; and
increase seismically safer school capacity.

The VSB then includes the expanded school capacity of the identified high priority projects in its annual Five-Year Capital Plan Submission. This is the mechanism by which the VSB applies for funding from MECC to support its highest priority projects.

Current EXP Projects:

New Elementary School at Olympic Village

This new elementary school is being designed for 630 students from Kindergarten through grade 7. The new school will be built on four levels, and will also include a rooftop play area. The site has been leased by VSB from the City of Vancouver, on a parcel identified for an elementary school in the 2005 Southeast False Creek Development Plan.

District Funded Project:

cəw̓as Ch’elxwá7elch Skwuláw̓txw Seaside

In 2018, the Vancouver School Board (VSB) approved an agreement with BC Hydro to allow for the construction of a new underground substation at the Roberts Annex (RA) site. In return, VSB secured fixed funding with the intention to fully fund and build a new elementary school in Coal Harbour (cəw̓as Ch’elxwá7elch Skwuláw̓txw Seaside), as well as a new full-sized elementary school at the RA site once the substation is complete. Funding for the new cəw̓as Ch’elxwá7elch Skwuláw̓txw Seaside school was approved and announced on October 22, 2019.

cəw̓as Ch’elxwá7elch Skwuláw̓txw Seaside is completing construction and is expected to receive students for the 2026-2027 school year. Within the lower three levels of the mixed-use building, the school will include capacity for 340 students. There will be a childcare facility on the fourth level for 65 children ages 0-5 and the remaining levels will be dedicated to provide 60 units of affordable housing for rent, with over 50% of units designed for families with children.

New Elementary School at the Lord Roberts Annex

In the District's 2027-2028 Five-year Capital Plan, two distinct project phases were identified for the Lord Roberts Annex site. The first is for the construction of the Minimum Viable Project to enable progress on the design development, permitting, landscape design, and public engagement and future proof the site for a replacement school. The second project includes a new elementary school at the Lord Roberts Annex site. The VSB has requested funding from the Province to advance both project phases.

Completed School Expansion Projects

The following list provides more information on the VSB’s past school expansion (EXP) projects:

Seismic Mitigation Program (SMP)

The Provincial Seismic Mitigation Program is a comprehensive seismic upgrading program to make schools safer in the event of an earthquake.

There is an active seismic mitigation program project at Grenfell Elementary, which is expected to be completed prior to the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

Road to Seismic Mitigation

The following timeline explains this process from beginning to end. Click on the image to expand.