Brody Langager, Saskatoon StarPhoenix
With a growing population, Saskatoon’s two school divisions say the city’s newest schools won’t decrease class sizes, but will address overcapacity issues.
The provincial government’s annual budget determines class sizes, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) explained.
There are 11 schools currently planned for Saskatoon, with each of the three joint-use schools — used by both school divisions — counting as two, according to the Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement.
GSCS said it last opened six schools in 2017, and enrolment has grown by 5,000 students since then. There are currently 50 schools within GSCS, with 23,009 students registered in September 2024.
Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) said it had 28,924 students enrol in 2024, with the division anticipating 29,622 students for this upcoming school year.
Overcrowded classrooms have been a contentious topic in Saskatchewan. GSCS said that as school populations grow, portable classrooms may need to be added, or non-classroom spaces may need to be converted into classrooms.
As an example, our two high schools currently serving the east side of Saskatoon (Holy Cross and St. Joseph) are at 123 per cent and 127 per cent utilization rates respectively, and they have had a total of 27 relocatable classrooms added in the past eight years,” a GSCS spokesperson said.
The joint-use Holmwood secondary school goes a long way in rightsizing those schools and taking pressure off facilities like computer labs, art spaces and gyms, according to the division.
BRIGHTON AND ASPEN RIDGE
* Joint-use SPS and GSCS elementary schools in both Brighton and Aspen Ridge
* Expected to open in 2029
- Maximum enrolment is 2,050 students (Brighton only)
- Roughly 22,000 square metres and includes a 90-seat childcare centre (Brighton only)
HOLMWOOD
* Joint-use high school
* Funding announced in March 2024, with ministry indicating a design services contract was issued
* No completion date provided
CITY CENTRE
* SPS elementary school to be built on former Princess Alexandra school site
* Expected to open in 2027
* Anticipated enrolment capacity between 350 and 400 students
* Includes 74 new childcare spaces
- Current King George school to be shut down due to high renovation costs
KENSINGTON
* Three schools including a francophone school, SPS elementary school and GSCS elementary school
* No completion date provided, but design work and pre-planning are underway
ST. FRANCIS
* Awâsisak kâ-nîmîhtocik — St. Francis School — is the only school expected to open this fall
* The Cree bilingual school’s name will be replaced by the Cree name, which means “children who dance” and reflects the nurturing of a child’s spirit
* Capacity for 600 pre-kindergarten to Grade 9 students, along with 70 child care spaces
