Lakeland Catholic School District’s (LCSD) official enrolment numbers saw more students heading into their classrooms this year.
“In September 2018, we had 2,543 students registered in our schools,” explained superintendent Joe Arruda during the board of trustees meeting on Oct. 16. “As of Sept. 30, 2019, we have 2,595, which I think is an increase of 52 students, or 2.04 per cent.”
As of the Sept. 30 count, Notre Dame Elementary (NDES) had 341 students, and Dr. Bernard Brosseau School recorded 358. Notre Dame High School (NDHS) had 388, which Arruda noted was 71 students more than last year.
Holy Cross Elementary saw a four per cent jump to 457 students, while St. Dominic had 237 students in their desks, and 490 joined classrooms at Assumption Jr./Sr. High School.
Holy Family in Waskatenau welcomed 92, and Lac La Biche’s Light of Christ had 214.
This year’s enrolment follows the upward trend LCSD has seen in their schools over the last five years.
“I’m pleased with the 2.04 per cent increase, which means we’ve been growing every single year over the last five years,” Arruda detailed. “Over the last five years, I think our total enrolment growth is 35 per cent.”
Board chair Diane Bauer said, “We did initially predict a little bit higher, but we’re really happy with having over a two per cent increase.”
LCSD’s estimate for the 2019/20 school year was a three per cent jump from last year’s enrolment, which was the number they used during their budget deliberations.
While most of their forecasts were correct, a drop in their youngest grade level was where they miscalculated.
“The numbers fell in kindergarten across the board,” Bauer noted. “I think both in the Catholic and public (divisions), and that’s where the difference is right there. Maybe it’s just one of those years, some years we have so many kindergarten students, and this year they were lower, but they were lower everywhere.”
According to Arruda, schools in Bonnyville saw a drop in their kindergarten classrooms between 66 to 80 students, while schools in Cold Lake saw a 10 per cent decrease this year.
NDES’ count took a hit from 385 students last year to 341 this school year.
“They notoriously have high kindergarten numbers, but their numbers going out were very high so the number of kindergartens coming in was quite lower,” Bauer said. “We were just a little bit surprised at the kindergarten level.”
While some have seen a drop, a majority of LCSD schools experienced significant increases.
“NDHS has certainly grown a bit. Was it expected? I’m not sure, but part of it is it has been modernized. It’s a new school, and we did open the hockey school,” Bauer explained. “(Holy Cross Elementary) has been growing leaps and bounds since it opened… It’s grown from around 260 and now it’s over 400.”
Bauer believes the programs offered throughout the division are among the reasons why parents choose to send their children to LCSD schools.
“People have the choice, and I think we’re a good choice.”
