Enrolment in Saskatoon Catholic schools at all-time high

For the first time, student enrolment has exceeded 20,000 in the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School (GSCS) division.

A news release from the school division said enrolment for pre-kindergarten to Grade 12 is 20,513 — nearly 1,000 more students than last year and 540 more than projected.

New Canadians and families reconnecting with school post-pandemic contributed to much of the growth, according to the GSCS.

“After slower-than-expected growth during the pandemic, the number of students we are welcoming is really encouraging,” said Catholic school board chair Diane Boyko in the news release.

“It helps keep our responsibility as educators top of mind.”

For those who lost connection with school over the pandemic, the division has employed an attendance care team to spend time with the families to “identify and overcome barriers,” the release said.

Over 570 new Canadians have enrolled in Catholic schools since June 2022, the school divison said. The most dramatic increase was at Bishop Filevich Ukrainian Bilingual School, where enrolment doubled due to the influx of Ukrainian families fleeing war at home.

Boyko said the increases in enrolment will mean a greater need for resources. The division has submitted the numbers to the Ministry of Education. It says additional funding later in the year “is a possibility.”

There are 50 schools in the Saskatoon Catholic division serving Saskatoon, Biggar, Humboldt, Martensville and Warman.

• Get the CTV News app for Saskatoon area breaking news alerts and top stories