Skip to content

Sooke School District sees anticipated enrolment increase doubled this school year

SD62 saw 827 new students, not the 400 to 450 expected
26918760_web1_210118-GNG-RoyalBaySchoolExposure_1
An expansion at Royal Bay Secondary School was completed in 2020 as the school was operating at maximum capacity since it opened in 2015. (Black Press Media file photo)

The western communities are growing rapidly – and the number of children filling schools is proof.

The Sooke School District ended up with double its projected enrolled growth this school year, according to an SD62 release issued Friday, Oct. 22.

In the 2021-22 school year, 827 students joined the district instead of the expected 400 to 450. This pushes the total student population to about 12,000 and represents a whopping 6.9 per cent growth rate – not the four per cent that was planned for.

“It’s no secret that the West Shore and Sooke regions are growing, but this year certainly took us by surprise,” Ravi Parmar, SD62 board chair, said in the release.

READ MORE: Sooke cooks up new regulations for food trucks

This news follows the launch of the Sooke School District’s 2021-25 strategic plan, which focuses on three core goals: supporting adaptable learners, creating a culture of belonging, and pursuing organizational excellence. Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the forefront of the plan as a whole, the district added.

Pexsisen Elementary and Centre Mountain Lellum, two new schools being built in west Langford, are projected to open in September 2022 and will help accommodate the ballooning district.

“We are a rapidly growing school district,” superintendent Scott Stinson added. “We continue to focus on learning as the core element of our work and engagement across our community.”

More information about the strategic plan can be found on the Sooke School District website, sd62.bc.ca.


Do you have a story tip? Email: vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.