Enrolment is up at the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB).
During their regular board meeting on Oct. 23, trustees received a report from superintendent of business and facility services Corry Van Nispen on enrolment at the public board as of Sept. 11.
Across the board’s 90 elementary and 16 secondary schools, there are 445 more students in attendance this year.
“The report shows that both elementary and secondary enrolment have grown over the last five years,” said manager of enrolment Richard Hodgkinson.
At the elementary level, 39,935 students were registered at schools within the board on Sept. 11, 2024, 314 more than the same date in 2023. At the secondary level, 17,499 students were registered, which is 131 more than the same date in 2023.
For comparison, in September 2020, the elementary enrolment was 37,528, while secondary enrolment was 16,022, accounting for a 7.3 per cent and 9.2 per cent respective growth rate over that five-year period.
Across the board, the elementary school with the highest enrolment is Alcona Glen Elementary School in Innisfil with 879 students. Locally, Tay Shore Public School in Victoria Harbour had the highest enrolment with 623 students.
At the high school level, Collingwood Collegiate Institute has the highest enrolment with 1,515 students.
Enrolment at Georgian Bay District Secondary School's enrolment is lower than originally anticipated with 1,115 students compared to an earlier projection of 1,173. But it's still higher than September of 2023 when 1,106 students attended the Midland school.
Chair and Orillia/Ramara/Severn trustee Jodi Lloyd noted that the SCDSB isn’t the only Ontario school board with fluctuating enrolment. She noted that in the past, most families would register before school started, but it’s becoming more common for students to be registered throughout September which can make enrolment numbers and class sizes difficult to plan.
“In the past, people all registered before school started and we went into the start of the school year knowing our numbers,” said Lloyd. “A lot of boards in the province are seeing a lot of people coming in the second or third week of (September). It’s a shift from what we’ve historically seen.”
To read the entire report, click here.
