Rapid growth at Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools has pushed total student enrolment passed 22,000 students.
As of September 30, 2023, enrolment for pre-kindergarten – Grade 12 students in the division is 22,089, which is 1,590 more students compared to the same period in the 2022-23 school year. This includes in-year growth (after September 30, 2022) during the 2022-23 school year.
“We’ve seen incredible growth over the last two years,” said Diane Boyko, Board of Education chair. “Division staff have done a remarkable job welcoming over 2,500 students in those two years. Knowing that parents and caregivers are choosing Catholic education and entrusting us with the education of their children is quite humbling. It helps keep our responsibility as educators in perspective.”
Families new to Canada continue to be a significant factor in overall growth, accounting for 1,495 students. A trend toward urbanization in the province is also a contributing factor.
“We’ve added the equivalent of five schools worth of students in two years, but we have not had a new school built since 2017,” said Boyko. “There’s a certain degree of urgency to build new schools—both elementary and high school—to accommodate our growth. The number of schools that are over-capacity increases every year, and our ability to convert other learning spaces into classrooms dwindles every year.
“Facilities are important. We need those. More importantly, we need to keep in mind it’s the people—teachers; educational assistants; supports like counselling, English as an additional language and speech language pathologists—that are the heart of education. We will continue to work with the Ministry of Education to encourage investment in both facilities and in properly funding education with the staff and resources students need to be successful.”
Enrolment data has been submitted to the Ministry of Education for verification and approval. Depending on provincial enrolment numbers, additional funding later in the year to support higher-than-projected enrolment is a possibility.
With 50 schools and over 22,000 students, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools is Saskatchewan’s largest Catholic school division, providing Catholic education from pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 in Saskatoon and area, Biggar, Humboldt, Martensville and Warman. We are rooted in faith, growing in knowledge and reaching out to transform the world.
Originally posted here: https://www.gscs.ca/_ci/p/17532
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