Enrolment surges in Saskatoon schools

Saskatoon schools saw a sizeable increase in enrolment this year, according to numbers from the Catholic and public school divisions.

Catholic schools in the city saw the greatest year-over-year increase, with 1,590 new students as of Sept. 30, while Saskatoon’s public schools reported an increase of 1,078 over last year.

With 28,256 students enrolled this year, public schools serve the most kids in Saskatoon.

“Much of this enrollment growth can be attributed to the current demographic and population trends in the City of Saskatoon, as well as an influx of newcomers to our school division,” Saskatoon Public School Division spokesperson Jennifer Lyons told CTV News.

New programs in Saskatoon’s public schools like nature-based learning, science, technology, language and cultural programs could also be part of the appeal, Lyons said.

Both divisions reported the highest increases in elementary schools, from Kindergarten to Grade 8.

Lyons says the addition of more full-day Kindergarten programs funded by the Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation played a role in the jump in numbers at that grade.

Saskatoon’s Catholic schools also saw a significant increase in high school enrolment this year, with an additional 526 students.