Kensington Prairie Elementary School was a public elementary school

Elementary school

An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...

, situated in Surrey, British Columbia

Surrey, British Columbia

Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, that was part of School District 36 Surrey

School District 36 Surrey

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 66,100 students during the 2005/2006 school year. District 36 includes 99 elementary schools, 20 secondary schools, and 6 learning...

. It operated from 1887 until 2006. In June 2010 Surrey City Council began restoration of the site as part of a plan to preserve the building and convert it into a Community Centre.

History

Established in 1887, the original one-room schoolhouse

One-room school

One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...

 stood at Kensington-Mud Bay Road (40th Avenue) and Coast Meridian (168th Street). The first teacher at the school was M.J. Matheson. Prior to this, students had attended school in the home of Tom Fallowfield on the northwest corner of Brown Road, now 32nd Avenue, and Coast Meridian Road. The next Kensington Prairie School was built a mile to the south, at Brown Road (later 32nd Avenue). The earliest building on this site opened in 1914, and additions in adjoining buildings were added over the years.

Later years

Student

Student

A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...

s from the school were officially welcomed when they attended a meeting of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....

 on February 9, 1984.

The school was officially designated a City of Surrey

Surrey, British Columbia

Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...

 Heritage Site on December 4, 2000.

The school was considered for closure in January 2003. A reason given was the claim that it was in poor condition. The threat of closure generated significant parental concern. On February 14, 2003, MLA Kevin Falcon

Kevin Falcon

Kevin Falcon is a Canadian politician and is the current Deputy Premier of British Columbia, Canada. He is a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the district of Surrey-Cloverdale and is a member of the BC Liberals...

, responding to the Throne speech

Speech from the Throne

A speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming session...

, argued that the school should remain open. However, in June 2006 the school was shut down and replaced by Pacific Heights Elementary School. The new school was officially opened on November 15, 2006.

Future of the site

A movement to promote the preservation of the historic Kensington Prairie School site as a community centre led to a community meeting held on May 29, 2006. Those attending voted unanimously for the following resolution: "That this meeting favours the preservation for community use of at least the historic 1914 building and the gym as well as the playground area of Kensington Prairie School." At this meeting the 'Society to Save the Kensington Prairie Site' was formed with the mission of working towards the goal of the resolution. The Society made a presentation to the Board of School Trustees of School District No. 36 on October 12, 2006. It was announced at a Citizen Advisory Committee meeting on March 8, 2007 that the future of the site was still undecided. On February 25, 2008 The City of Surrey announced that it had acquired the school and its entire three-acre site as part of a land swap with the Surrey School Board. In September, 2008, Surrey Council voted to "Approve in principle the adaptive reuse of Kensington Prairie School . . . as a Community centre operated by the Parks, Recreation and Culture Department; and, further, voted to "Authorize staff to include as part of the 2009 budget, capital and operating funding to allow for the conversion of the School to a Community Centre." In 2009 Surrey City Council approved the designation of the historic building on the site as a Protected Heritage Site, and announced plans to create a community centre on the site of the school. In November, 2009, it was announced that the Federal Government would give $200,000 towards renovation of the historic 1914 building.