Two local schools will be reimbursed for money their Parent Advisory Councils spent on new playground equipment this year.
Cloverdale Traditional School’s PAC is to be reimbursed for $24,283, as part of $2.4 million in provincial funding announced last week to acknowledge money its PAC raised to purchase playground equipment.
Another Cloverdale school, Don Christian Elementary, will receive a $43,820 playground reimbursement.
The money is part of $8 million in new playground funding announced by Premier Christy Clark in September that will be spent over two years.
School districts were asked to identify schools that had purchased adventure-style playground equipment using PAC-raised funds since Jan. 1, 2011.
PACs at 14 Surrey area schools are to receive a total of $347,025 in reimbursements for playgrounds.
In September, two new area schools – Adams Road Elementary and Hazelgrove Elementary – learned they would each get $50,000 from the province for playgrounds.
Adams Road opened earlier this year, but didn’t have a playground because the money wasn’t included in capital funds.
The next phase of the playground program will involve about $3.6 million to be distributed for high-priority playground upgrades, repairs and replacements.
The government’s original announcement also said from now on, playground funding would be included in capital budgets for new schools.