PRINCE ALBERT — The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division is slightly below its projected enrolment but still pleased with the overall numbers.
According to the division on Sept. 30, total SRPSD student enrolment was at 8,614, this includes Pre-K, home school, DLC and all other students enrolled.
Superintendent Corey Trann said the enrolment is steady
“We are within two per cent of our projections, so we're just slightly below projection,” Trann said. “We have some pre-K spots still available so that if we fill those pre-K spots, we would be getting closer projection for sure.”
Sask. Rivers admin projected a total enrolment of 8,777. They have 163 fewer students than projected, including 63 fewer Pre-K students. Trann said that’s likely due to competing interests, as parents decide on daycare or pre-K classes for their children.
“We also know the complexity of pre-K spots coupled with the Ministry’s push for everyday all-day childcare and subsidized childcare,” Trann said.
“They're not going to double fund for a child, so parents make decisions and that's their decision to do,” he added.
He said that even with the low Pre-K number they were still pleased to be within two per cent of their projections.
Trann said that the numbers have remained relatively consistent.
“We have been pretty steady,” he said. “We haven't had huge increases over the last five or six years, minus the COVID impact, of course. If you take the COVID impact years out of that, our enrolment has been fairly close.
“We have had a small reduction this year, a little reduction last year, but nothing super significant. Yes, we're not over projection, but we're close within that two per cent and so (that) allows us to maintain our plan as we go ahead.”
Trann said they like to see an increase over the projections because the division has strong programs.
“Our schools do a really good job of meeting the needs of the kids. We have plans in place to sustain what we have and it's nice to be close,” Trann said.
A breakdown of each school in the division was not available.
The enrolment on Sept. 30 reported to the Ministry of Education helps determine the funding each division receives.
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