The Kamloops Thompson School Board is gathering data from the city in order to better prepare for future student growth in a district already jammed to the rafters.

Board Chair Kathleen Karpuk says city growth projections data is being used by the district as it examines not only where growth is occurring but who exactly is moving where..

“Some of the information that we heard was that over the next 20 years they are expecting a 34% increase in Aberdeen, 20% in the Valleyview area, 20% on the North Shore, and 20% downtown.”

But Karpuk says it is also more about who exactly is moving where.

“Even though the city is saying there will be 20% growth downtown the majority of that is seniors. So we don’t have to worry so much about the number of kids increasing downtown.”

Karpuk says in Aberdeen it is quite the opposite.

“The city is predicting over 6,000 new residents in that area.”

And unlike the downtown core the growth in Aberdeen is expected to largely be families with children.

“That gives us the indication that Aberdeen is probably going to be a really high focus for us over the next 20 years.”

With many schools in the district already jammed to the rafters she says the information will help determine priority projects for capital investment.