School is back in session.
And early numbers from the North Vancouver and West Van school districts show nearly 24,000 students are returning to the classroom for another year.
This year, both North Shore school districts are seeing a slight drop in enrolment.
Chloe Scott, communications manager at SD44, said the North Vancouver School District's preliminary projections show 16,663 full-time equivalent students across the 32 schools and online program this September – a decrease of 93 students compared to 2024.
“The modest decline was anticipated, largely due to recent changes in federal immigration policies,” Scott said in a statement.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has capped the number of study permit applications to 437,000 for 2025, a 10 per cent decrease from last year. The IRCC said that the reduced number is to help ease the strain on housing, health care and other services. Out of this total number, only 72,200 applications will be accepted for those in kindergarten to Grade 12 across the country.
Since the North Vancouver Board of Education approved its budget in May, Scott said enrolment numbers have fluctuated across the region, with eastern neighbourhoods within the school district seeing a slight decline, while central and western areas see mild growth.
To help support these shifts, she said new learning spaces are coming like a six-classroom prefabricated addition to Westview Elementary, which is set to be completed this fall.
“Administrators, teachers, and staff are working hard to prepare classrooms and buildings to welcome all students, both new and returning,” Scott said. “Families arriving just before school begins are asked for patience as enrolment is finalized and placements are confirmed.”
North Vancouver School District continues to build a reputation of academic distinction, said Scott, adding that North Van had some of the highest graduation rates in the province last year. Within SD44, graduation rates were 98 per cent for B.C. residents, 95 per cent for Indigenous learners and 92 per cent for students with disabilities and diverse abilities.
Provincial data from the 2023/2024 academic year shows the average is 91 per cent for B.C. residents, 75 per cent for Indigenous learners and 78 per cent for students with diverse abilities.
In West Vancouver, enrolment numbers are expected to be like previous years, with roughly 7,300 students including 400 international students.
But it’s a slight decrease of 100 to 150 students compared to the 2023/2024 school year, said Liz Hill, deputy superintendent of West Vancouver Schools.
Last year’s influx of students came from the “fundable admissions category,” Hill said.
“So those are students with work, study permits, refugees or diplomatic opportunities,” she said. “We saw a lot more students fall under those categories [last year]. This year, that seems to be a little bit more stable.”
Hill said this year’s lower enrolment could be from fewer newer families coming to West Vancouver.
“I think it’s probably a bunch of different reasons,” she said. “Our kindergarten enrolment is down a tiny bit, so it just seems that for our younger classrooms, there are less families coming to West Vancouver.”
But as the school year kicks off, Hill said the West Vancouver School District still has lots of space available for students.
“We still have space in our schools, which is great to be able to accommodate those families that are moving over the summer, different grades,” she said. “We’re pleased about that as well.”
School began for students across the Lower Mainland on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
https://bsky.app/profile/abbyluciano.bsky.social
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