BROCKVILLE – Enrolment at the region’s English-language school boards is on the rise again.
At the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB), enrolment is 0.7 per cent higher than the 2024-25 forecast. The board had estimated it would have 27,759 students in its elementary and secondary schools. A Ministry of Education snapshot of enrolment on November 6, 2024, showed that number was 27,965, a 206-student improvement. This growth was distributed between its Kindergarten to Grade 8 and Grades 9-12 schools.
More than 25 per cent of students moving to the UCDSB were previously students at the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO).
The two neighbouring French-language boards combined for 8.5 per cent of the migration to the UCDSB. Over 40 per cent of the new students to the board came from other English-Public boards in Ontario or out-of-province.
The increase in enrolment benefited two of the three UCDSB schools in South Dundas. Morrisburg Public School saw a 10 per cent increase, growing its population to 148 students as of November 6.
Iroquois Public School also saw a gain of three per cent (eight students) over what was planned. The school had 287 students registered in early November. A net decrease in enrolment at Seaway District High School saw its numbers fall to 370 students (Grades 7-12) – a decrease of 15 students or four per cent over the 2023-24 school year.
The CDSBEO also saw an increase in students, but its numbers were not released publicly. That board recently adjusted its budget to account for staff increases due to enrolment. The board planned to hire 30.67 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers, nine early childhood educators, and 15.1 FTE educational assistants.