By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
The previously-announced expansion of French Immersion programming to Warman High School (WHS) this fall will be proceeding as planned, but now, bus transportation will also be offered to Martensville students who wish to be involved.
Back in March of 2025, the Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) announced that French Immersion programming would be offered at the Grade 9 level in WHS starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
French Immersion programming would also continue to expand by one grade per year until it is available from Grades 9 to 12 by the 2029-2030 school year.
As noted in a release from PSSD, this expansion reflects “sustained interest in French Immersion” and a commitment to supporting younger students as they continue their learning journey.
Indeed, École Warman Elementary School currently has more than 260 French Immersion students in Kindergarten to Grade 8.
The program was originally established at École Warman in the fall of 2018 and has only grown in the years since.
During their January 19 board meeting, Prairie Spirit trustees were informed of the approval of a formal Ministry submission regarding the programming expansion.
In addition, it has been decided that Martensville families will be able to enroll their children in French Immersion and be provided bus transportation from Martensville to either École Warman or WHS.
It should be noted that plans are underway to establish a joint-use regional high school serving both Warman and Martensville students.
When asked if French Immersion programming would continue to be offered at the new school, a spokesperson for PSSD said no programming decisions have yet been made for the proposed joint-use school.