MOOSE JAW – Students have been back in class for almost a month, but in Holy Trinity Catholic School Division, there are nearly 50 fewer youths in desks than projected, data show.
As of Sept. 6, there were 2,437 students enrolled in the division, which was 46 pupils — or 1.85 per cent — below projections of 2,483, a recent board report said. Meanwhile, enrolment as of that date was also seven students — or 0.29 per cent — below the count of 2,444 from Sept. 30, 2023.
The biggest decline was in the number of pre-kindergarten students registered. As of Sept. 6, there were 67 such children enrolled in Holy Trinity, compared to the projection of 89 pupils, a decline of 22 or 24.7 per cent.
Also, enrolment as of that date was 24 students — or 26.4 per cent — below the count of 91 from Sept. 30, 2023.
Ward Strueby, director of education, told board trustees during their September meeting that while those total numbers look somewhat off-putting, the good news is those figures have changed since division administration first collected them at the start of the month. As of Sept. 16, there were 2,448 students in the division or 11 more.
“At the end of the day, the numbers that we’re based upon are Sept. 30,” he said.
One reason why there was a big drop in enrolment is because the board decided to cut one pre-kindergarten program in Swift Current this year, the education director continued. Fifteen students have enrolled in that grade this year, compared to 34 last year, a drop of 19 pupils.
“We didn’t get funding for this pre-kindergarten (program from the Ministry of Education), so in terms of numbers from the ministry, it’s not like we’re losing money,” Strueby said.
Conversely, some “very, very good news” this year is that Holy Trinity has 184 students enrolled in kindergarten compared to 168 last year, which is an amazing number, he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Academy in Moose Jaw was at 43 students enrolled as of Sept. 6, which was 11 pupils — or 20.4 per cent — below the projections for this year, but those numbers should increase by the end of the month, said Strueby.
One reason why there are fewer pupils is because that school graduated a record 17 students last June, compared to the normal two or three annual graduates, he continued.
Strueby told trustees that administration expects overall enrolment numbers this year to exceed last year’s figures, considering many hockey athletes who play in Moose Jaw usually attend Vanier for high school. He added that he would provide an update about enrolment at the October meeting.
The next Holy Trinity board meeting is Monday, Oct. 21.
