School district enrolment expected to keep growing

Jan 19, 2023 | 11:15 AM

New projections suggest enrolment in School District 83 (North Okanagan-Shuswap) will continue to rise until 2027 and then decrease slightly.

The findings were compiled for the school district by Baragar Systems, a Burnaby company that specializes in demographic planning for school districts.

School District 83 enrolment projections. (Image credit: SD 83)

The report broke down the projections for each community in the school district which stretches from Armstrong to Salmon Arm, and includes Falkland and Sorrento.

The district’s assistant superintendent, Ryan Brennan, told the board of education, in the Armstrong zone, Armstrong Elementary continues to operate at capacity and is projected to do so into 2031. However, Highland Park continues to have space to allow for overflow until the end of the decade. Len Wood and Pleasant Valley continue to have excess capacity.

Drought Risks

Okanagan's snowpack dropped to 2% of normal

1h ago

Infrastructure, Property Protection

Local, provincial leaders celebrate flood mitigation work

19h ago

Transit Fare Changes

Transit fares set to rise in Vernon, but youth will ride for free

Jun 09, 2026

The report projects Falkland School will continue to see enrolment growth over the next 10 years with Ministry of Education capacity possibly being exceeded in 2030.

In the Enderby area, M.V. Beattie Elementary continues to see enrolment growth, which is projected to soften over the next several years, and another portable classroom may be needed.
Grindrod and A.L.Fortune continue to have capacity.

In the Sicamous zone, Parkview and Eagle River continue to have excess capacity.

Salmon Arm’s elementary/middle schools continue to have capacity issues at some schools, while there is excess space in others. Brennan said catchment areas may have to be looked at in the future to address new residential buildings.

“Shuswap Middle School enrolment appears to have plateaued from its recent growth and is projected to be slightly under capacity for the next decade,” Brennan said in the report.

For Salmon Arm’s secondary zone, the projections show both Jackson and Salmon Arm secondaries continuing to see enrolment growth for the next decade. There may be a need for additional portables at Jackson and room reconfigurations at Sullivan in the near future.

For the Northwest zone (elementary/middle), both Sorrento Elementary and North Shuswap continue to experience enrolment growth, with a potential need for portable classrooms in the future.

Click here for the full report.

by Pete McIntyre

View Comments