Students will be back on the pathways in the garden at Westwood Elementary this morning

Prince George, BC – It is back to classes this morning for students in School District 57…

The exception being children enrolled at Blackburn Elementary School, where word came down last evening that a water issue has forced the school to remain closed for an extra day.  It is expected to be open tomorrow.

In a district that spans 52-thousand square kilometres, encompassing not only Prince George, but Mackenzie, Valemount and McBride, last year’s enrollment was 14,239 students.  Superintendent, Brian Pepper, says the actual number of full-time equivalents was slightly lower than that figure and he expects enrollment will be down another 200 to 240 students this fall, by the time final figures are tallied after September 30th.

"(The decline) is just continuing the trend that we’ve been in for quite some time," says Pepper.  "We think we’re in the last couple of years of declining enrollment and we’ll start to level off."

As for whether the permanent move for the Montessori program to Gladstone from Highglen will impact that student population, the superintendent says it’s too early to say.  He says he has heard that a couple of schools near Highglen have gained a few students from the neighbourhood.  "I don’t know if there’s any significance to it because, at this time of year, it’s quite typical that you have some movement."

"Because it’s a choice program, there’s a lot of commitment to the learning methodology and the Montessori way," Pepper adds.  "So it may be that the vase majority who are committed to that learning approach will, in fact, continue to attend at the Gladstone site."

Province-wide, the Education Ministry is anticipating 525,692 students will enter BC public schools this fall, down almost 5900 students from last year’s enrollment.

There are currently more than 74-thousand students enrolled in 353 independent schools in the province – that’s 11-percent of the K-to-12 population, and is up from 59,733 in 2000.

As part of the ministry’s Daily Physical Activity requirements, students in kindergarten through grade 7 engage in 30 minutes of physical activity at school each day.