The Cowichan Valley School District saw an increase in enrolment this fall.
At this point in time, there are 2 hundred and 74 new students in the system.
Candace Spillsbury, with the District, said there are a total of 8,091 students, and to deal with the increased student body, she says the shuttered Mill Bay School was reopened.
“The Mill Bay Nature School this September and to great success. We have 74 of our students there and, in terms of the future we intend to move the school from a kindergarten to grade three program this year, to grade 7 next year.”
She says many of the new students were kindergarten students but, “Interestingly enough we also had a big influx of grade 12 students. That’s quite an anomaly for us, showing us that it’s not just birth rate that’s impacting us but the migration in from other provinces, other school districts, and for us, from the private school system as well.”
Spillsbury says there are also 8 new portables coming online and the two portables at George Bonner were renovated.
She says one of the first tasks of the new board should be to develop a long term facilities plan to help the District work through the anticipated continued growth.
