The continuing economic and population boom in the Energy City has not translated into a corresponding increase in registrations in the public school system this fall.
In fact, enrolment in Estevan's public schools is down by 26 this September compared with September registrations in 2010.
While the numbers slumped in Estevan, they continued to increase in the southeast area with the Â鶹´«Ã½AV East Cornerstone Public School Division which recorded a hike of 81 students this year. Cornerstone now boasts a total student enrollment of 8,172 compared with 8,091 last school year. The division has 38 schools within its administrative fold.
This year's registration numbers in the public elementary schools in Estevan were interesting insofar as three of the four facilities are showing the exact same enrolments as they had last school year.
Hillcrest with 160 students this year, also had 160 registered last year. Spruce Ridge School has 422 this year, the same as last year while Westview School had 190 last year and the same number this year. The only school with a change was Pleasantdale School where there were 223 students last year and 213 this year.
The Estevan Comprehensive School welcomed 838 students into the fold on opening day this year compared with 854 last year in a similar time frame.
The numbers were a bit more promising in area schools where enrolments were up in three facilities and down in two.
Midale Central School noted a drop of five in their student numbers at the beginning of this school year, registering 171 students compared with 176 last year.
The new Prairie Heights School in Oxbow noted a healthy increase of 15 students this year, moving to 384 from 369 while Lampman School also reported a hike, going to 221 from 211.
Weldon School in Bienfait recorded a significant decrease of 18 students, with 138 registered for the kindergarten to Grade 8 program compared with 156 last year.
Macoun School, with a kindergarten to Grade 6 program welcomed 50 students on opening day this year, an increase of six over last year.
Lyndale School in Oungre, the division's only designated "school of necessity," witnessed an increase in enrolment as well, moving from last year's recorded registration of 18 students to 23 this year.
The school of necessity designation means that for geographic purposes, the school cannot be closed due to the provincial Ministry of Education's directive.
Marc Casavant, director of education for Cornerstone, said the only option the board has with the low enrolment numbers in Lyndale is to reduce the program to a kindergarten to Grade 8 format. The school currently offers a Grade 9 program. Lyndale continues to operate with just two educators and a support staff member.
Casavant said the only school in the immediate Estevan area that could still be put on review for a notice of closure next year, is Macoun, where registrations have increased over the past two years. The director said the board still needs to go through the motions though, based on numbers and parameters set out by the ministry and then the trustees make a decision based on what they've received in terms of numbers and accompanying information.
"We have no definite word on potential candidate schools for closure next year," said Casavant.
Other schools in the division that will come up for scrutiny based on ministry requirements include Pangman and Wapella.
This year's teacher roster was increased to 523.1 full-time equivalent positions compared with 519.2 last year said Gord Husband, the division's manager of human resources. This was attributed mainly to the need to increase classes due to the improved enrolments.
