By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
After multiple years of steady enrolment growth, the Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) has counted a drop of 109 students from the previous year across the jurisdiction.
That’s according to the enrolment figures as of September 30, 2026, which were presented to PSSD trustees at their October 19 board meeting.
Deputy Director of Education Dean Broughton said the division’s enrolment as of September 30 was 11,511 students.
A total of 26 schools experienced lower enrolments, while 19 schools experienced higher enrolments.
On the positive side, Broughton pointed out that their Kindergarten numbers rose by 39 children. In contrast, Kindergarten numbers were down 16 children in the fall of 2025.
“So our ‘K’ numbers did well year over year,” he said.
Broughton said urban schools within PSSD saw an average decrease of 12.6 students per school, whereas 2025 saw an average increase of 2.2 students.
Rural schools saw an average decrease of 1.1 students per school, whereas 2025 saw an average decrease of 1.7 students.
Interestingly, the number of home-based students increased by 34 students from last year. That is a fairly major shift from 2025, when home-based students increased by 88.
Broughton included two caveats with his enrolment report: first, that there are always a few students “in dispute” with other divisions, as they may have moved to PSSD either on or just before the September 30 enrolment count. Even so, he suggested the enrolment count is accurate “plus or minus six or seven kids.”
Secondly, Broughton said he could not share how many Prairie Spirit students are enrolled at the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre (SDLC).
“We don’t actually know that …. until we get our first bill,” he said, noting that info would probably come in the next month or so.
LAIRD SCHOOL
On a semi-related note, the PSSD trustees received an update at their October 19 meeting regarding the enrolment at Laird School.
While reviewing official enrolment numbers each fall, the board is made aware if a school is below the enrolment thresholds detailed in provincial legislation.
There are currently 35 students at Laird School, and the minimum threshold for a K-6 school to be considered for closure is falling below 37 students.
Last year, the board completed a full school review of Laird and opted to discontinue Grades 7 and 8, making it a K-6 school for the 2026-2027 school year. This was largely due to the school falling below the minimum enrolment threshold of 51 students for a K-8 school.
That said, the Ministry of Education has made $1 million available for a roof replacement and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) project at Laird School in the 2026 provincial budget, so for now, no further action will be taken.