School District 36 Surrey operates schools in Surrey, White Rock, and Barnston Island, British Columbia. It is the largest school district in British Columbia, with 80,208 students and 195+ languages represented during the 2022–23 school year. District 36 includes 103 elementary schools, 21 secondary schools, 5 learning centres, and 3 adult education centres. While the district was established in 1906, its first school opened in 1882. The district is Surrey’s largest employer with 12,540 employees including 6,716 teachers.
Administration The Surrey School District's administration hub is the District Education Centre, which was officially opened on September 11, 2011.
Schools
Elementary schools School Location Grades NotesAdams Road Elementary SchoolCloverdaleK-7A.H.P. Matthew Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7A.J. McLellan Elementary SchoolCloverdaleK-7Bayridge Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7Bear Creek Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Beaver Creek Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Punjabi LanguageBerkshire Park Elementary SchoolFleetwoodK-7Betty Huff Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Bonaccord Elementary SchoolGuildfordK-7Bothwell Elementary SchoolFraser HeightsK-7Boundary Park Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Bridgeview Elementary SchoolBridgeviewK-7Brookside Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Cambridge Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Cedar Hills Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Chantrell Creek Elementary SchoolCrescent ParkK-7Chimney Hill Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Punjabi LanguageCindrich Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Clayton Heights Elementary SchoolClayton4–7Cloverdale Traditional SchoolCloverdaleK-7Coast Meridian Elementary SchoolFleetwoodK-7Intensive FrenchColebrook Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Cougar Creek Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Coyote Creek Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Creekside Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Crescent Park Elementary SchoolCrescent ParkK-7Late French ImmersionDavid Brankin Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Intensive Fine Arts programDogwood Elementary SchoolFraser HeightsK-7Don Christian Elementary SchoolCloverdaleK-7Douglas Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7MontessoriDr. F.D. Sinclair Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Edgewood Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7East Clayton Elementary SchoolClaytonK-3East Kensington Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7Outdoor LearningEllendale Elementary SchoolGuildfordK-7Erma Stephenson Elementary SchoolFraser HeightsK-7Intensive FrenchFleetwood Elementary SchoolFleetwoodK-7Forsyth Road Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Fraser Wood Elementary SchoolFraser HeightsK-7Intensive FrenchFrost Road Elementary SchoolFleetwoodK-7Intensive FrenchGeorge Greenaway Elementary SchoolCloverdaleK-7 Georges Vanier ElementaryNewtonK-7Goldstone Park ElementaryNewtonK-7Green Timbers Elementary SchoolFleetwoodK-7Punjabi LanguageH.T. Thrift Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7Halls Prairie Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7Harold Bishop Elementary SchoolGuildfordK-7Hazelgrove Elementary SchoolClaytonK-7Henry Bose Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Late French ImmersionHillcrest Elementary SchoolCloverdaleK-7Hjorth Road Elementary SchoolGuildfordK-7Holly ElementaryGuildfordK-7Hyland Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7J.T. Brown Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7James Ardiel Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Janice Churchill Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Jessie Lee Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7Late French ImmersionK.B. Woodward Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Late French ImmersionKatzie Elementary SchoolClaytonK-7Kennedy Trail Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Kensington Prairie Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7Kirkbride Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Laronde Elementary SchoolCrescent ParkK-7Early French ImmersionLatimer Road Elementary SchoolCloverdaleK-7MontessoriLena Shaw Elementary SchoolGuildfordK-7M.B. Sanford Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Maple Green Elementary SchoolFleetwoodK-7Martha Currie Elementary SchoolCloverdaleK-7Early French ImmersionMartha Jane Norris Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Mary Jane Shannon Elementary SchoolGuildfordK-7McLeod Road Traditional Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Morgan Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7Mountainview Montessori SchoolGuildfordK-7Montessori, Early French ImmersionNewton Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Punjabi LanguageNorth Ridge Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Ocean Cliff Elementary SchoolCrescent ParkK-7Intensive FrenchOld Yale Road Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Pacific Heights Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7Early French ImmersionPanorama Park Elementary SchoolSouth Newton / PanoramaK-7Peace Arch Elementary SchoolWhite RockK-7Early French ImmersionPort Kells Elementary SchoolPort KellsK-7Prince Charles Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Ray Shepherd Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7Riverdale Elementary SchoolGuildfordK-7Early French ImmersionRosemary Heights Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7Royal Heights Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Semiahmoo Trail Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7Senator Reid Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Serpentine Heights Elementary SchoolGuildfordK-7Simon Cunningham Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7Early French ImmersionSnokomish Elementary SchoolSouth Newton/PanoramaK-7Early French ImmersionSouth Meridian Elementary SchoolSouth SurreyK-7Strawberry Hill Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Punjabi LanguageSullivan Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Sunnyside ElementarySouth SurreyK-7Sunrise Ridge Elementary SchoolCloverdaleK-7Late French ImmersionSurrey Centre Elementary SchoolCloverdaleK-7Surrey Traditional SchoolWhalleyK-7T.E. Scott Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Punjabi LanguageTheresa Clarke Elementary SchoolWhalleyK-7W.E. Kinvig Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7Walnut Road Elementary SchoolFleetwoodK-7Westerman Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7White Rock Elementary SchoolWhite RockK-7Intensive Fine Arts programWilliam F. Davidson Elementary SchoolGuildfordK-7William Watson Elementary SchoolFleetwoodK-7Woodward Hill Elementary SchoolNewtonK-7 Woodland Park Elementary SchoolFleetwoodK-7
Secondary schools and other programs
School Location Grades FoundedAdolescent Psychiatric Unit ProgramSurreyCity Central Learning CentreSurrey10–12Clayton Heights Secondary SchoolClayton8–121999Cloverdale Learning CentreCloverdale10–12Continuing Ed SD 36 SchoolSurrey11–12Daughters and Sisters (PLEA) ProgramSurreyEarl Marriott Secondary SchoolSouth Surrey8–121973École Salish SecondaryClayton8–122018Elgin Park Secondary SchoolSouth Surrey8–121993Enver Creek Secondary SchoolFleetwood8–121997Fleetwood Park Secondary SchoolFleetwood8–121994Frank Hurt Secondary SchoolNewton 8–121973Fraser Heights Secondary SchoolFraser Heights8–122000Grandview Heights Secondary SchoolSouth Surrey8–122021Guildford Learning CentreGuildford10–12Guildford Park Secondary SchoolGuildford8–121984Invergarry Learning CentreNewton10Johnston Heights Secondary SchoolGuildford8–121958Kwantlen Park Secondary School (Inter-A)Whalley8–122002L.A. Matheson Secondary SchoolWhalley8–121969Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary SchoolCloverdale8–121946North Surrey Learning CentreNewton10–12North Surrey Secondary SchoolGuildford8–121947Panorama Ridge Secondary SchoolNewton8–122006Princess Margaret Secondary SchoolNewton8–121958Queen Elizabeth Secondary SchoolWhalley8–121940Semiahmoo Secondary SchoolSouth Surrey8–121940South Fraser Adolescent Day Treatment ProgramSurreySouthridge SchoolSurreyK-121995South Surrey White Rock Learning CentreSouth Surrey10–12Student Support CentreSurrey6–12Sullivan Heights SecondaryNewton8–122000Surrey Connect Online SchoolSurreyK-12Surrey Academy of Innovative LearningWhalley8–102015Tamanawis Secondary SchoolNewton8–121994TREES CentreSurrey8–10Waypoint Substance Abuse HouseSurrey
Budget For the first time in history, the Surrey Board of Education passed an annual budget totalling more than a billion dollars for the 2023–24 school year consisting of $602 million for teacher costs and $451 million for all other costs. The largest sources of funds are $945 million in provincial government grants, $17 million in tuition, $9 million in investment income, $4 million in rental and lease income, and $3 million in federal grants.
In the news The Surrey School District was reported in the national news numerous times during the 1990s and 2000s, most notably for its stand on social issues.
Overcrowding Surrey had 361 portable classrooms in use by the end of the 2022–23 school year. This number had increased by 20% over the 15 years prior.
Book banning The District School Board was the focus of major media attention from 1997 to 2002 over its stand on not allowing books about families with same-sex parents to be included as optional learning resources. These books were requested by James Chamberlain, a kindergarten teacher, to reflect on the realities of today's families and to teach his pupils about diversity and tolerance.
A legal battle to overturn the decision to ban the three books went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, where the school board's decision was overturned. The judgment, Chamberlain v. Surrey School District No. 36, cited the need for families headed by same-sex couples to be respected. Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin dismissed the Board's concerns that children would be confused or misled by classroom information about same-sex parents. She pointed out that the children of same-sex parents are rubbing shoulders with children from more traditional families, and wrote: "Tolerance is always age-appropriate, children cannot learn unless they are exposed to views that differ from those they are taught at home." The legal fees ended up costing Surrey taxpayers over $1,200,000.
Drama production In 2005, the Surrey School District made national news for cancelling production of The Laramie Project, a play that deals with the murder of a gay university student, in Elgin Park Secondary. Advocates for the play noted that it is designed to teach tolerance toward LGBT people. The school district's administration said that the play contains sex, violence and foul language and is not appropriate as family entertainment.Sudbury stages the play Surrey shunned, The Globe and Mail, October 4, 2005. Retrieved January 21, 2014 The decision met with outrage from LGBT advocacy organization Egale Canada. A school in neighbouring Vancouver, Lord Byng Secondary School, subsequently chose to stage the play.
Climate change In May 2007, the Surrey School Board made national news when it voted to instruct teachers not to show Al Gore's Academy Award-winning documentary on climate change, An Inconvenient Truth, until trustees were able to review the film. On the issue of climate change, Board Trustee and social activist Heather Stilwell stated: "I am not sure. I mean I see evidence. I think there is climate change, there's no question about that. Whether what Al Gore says about it is the truth, I have questions."
Bible study In early November 2009, a Cloverdale father, Paul Jubenvill, requested an extra-curricular, non-instructional, voluntarily-attended Bible club be established during lunch-hour at his sons' school, Colebrook Elementary. The school would not permit the club on their property, and the Surrey School District supported the school's position. The father argued that this ban violated the provincial BC Human Rights Code by disallowing a normally available service on the grounds of discrimination against religion. The school district was concerned that permitting the club may have given the appearance of the school endorsing a particular religious ideology. Jubenvill argued that there is a difference between endorsing a faith versus "accommodating" spiritual needs.
A complaint was filed with the BC Human Rights Tribunal; however, Jubenvill withdrew the complaint because he felt that the resulting media attention and the reaction it generated did not accurately represent his intentions and he preferred to address the matter with the school district out of the public eye.