Enrolment growth at Wolf Creek Public Schools continues to be focused in Blackfalds and Lacombe.
Superintendent Jayson Lovell said there were no big surprises in enrolment, which grew by 64 students.
Last month, 7,553 students attended Wolf Creek schools, compared to 7,489 students in September 2018.
Enrolment at Ecole Secondaire Lacombe Composite High School was projected to be 846 students, but reached 880.
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Wolf Creek Public Schools serves the communities of Alix, Bentley, Blackfalds, Bluffton, Clive, Eckville, Lacombe, Ponoka and Rimbey.
The division also operates five colony schools.
“We always are very focused on our rural school populations. We know that some of our rural communities are not in a growth trend. The good news is our enrolment numbers, for the most part in our rural schools, seem to be holding quite well,” Lovell said.
He said enrolment at Bluffton School, a kindergarten-to-Grade 9 school in a remote area northwest of Rimbey, enrolled more students than expected.
A total of 122 students were projected, but 141 showed up because some families moved into the area.
The division hired 27 new teachers for the school year, but the overall number of teachers remained steady at about 440.
“Typically at Wolf Creek, we don’t see large swings in our teaching staff,” said Lovell.
“There’s retirements and attrition and leaves. We’re very fortunate to have stability in our teaching force. Very little turn over.”
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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