PRINCE ALBERT — The Prince Albert Catholic School Division's enrolment numbers have improved to pre-COVID-19 levels according to the division's Sept. 30 enrolment report.
Education Director Lorel Trumier gave an update at the board's regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 10. Those numbers show 3,070 students attending a PA Catholic school, which is an increase over the 2,803 in 2022.
Trumier said the pandemic created plenty of challenges, but the school board was able to move past them. She said they’re pleased to see families returning to school.
"We know that with the pandemic, there are some students that had moved to other areas. As well, we're finding the shift during that pandemic to different work environments for parents and so they were moving," Trumier said.
"It's nice to see that people are choosing Prince Albert Catholic Schools and that those numbers are rising and to have a significant (increase) over the projected number, it's significant. We are pleased about that.”
The increase in enrolment includes 20 homeschooled students, who are still credited to the PA Catholic School Division by the Ministry of Education. There are 158 students enrolled in pre-kindergarten courses across the division and 201 in kindergarten. The total English enrolment is 2,030, while the total French enrolment is 862.
With the enrolment increase comes greater responsibility, Trumier said.
"We are going to do our best to support our students in our school."
St. Anne School had 603 students with 301 English students and 302 French. Ecole St. Mary High School had 994 total students with 744 students registered in English and 250 registered in French. St. Michael School which is split between English and Michif had 186 students registered in English and 28 students registered in Michif.
St. John School had 321 students registered, St. Francis School had 299 students registered, St. Catherine School had 151 students registered and Holy Cross had 310 registered.
Enrolment on Sept. 30, 2022, in the Catholic Division, was 2,982 in 2021 it was 2,982, in 2020 it was 3,022, in 2019 it was 3,247 and in 2018 it was 3,161.
The enrolment on Sept. 30 reported to the Ministry of Education helps determine the funding each division receives.
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