Thirty Catholic schools in Calgary are seeing a utilization rate of 100 per cent or higher, a trend the Catholic school district says is reflective of Alberta’s economy and “relative affordability.”

According to a new enrolment report published by the Calgary Catholic School District, the district now has a total of 63,519 students as of September 27 this year. This is more than three per cent higher compared with this time last year, when the CCSD had 61,854 students. This is also a more than seven per cent increase compared with numbers from Sept. 30, 2022 (58,881 students).

Kindergarten enrolments saw an increase of 194 children over the previous year, the report said, while Grades 1 to 6 enrolments grew by 849 students. Grades 7 to 9 enrolments grew by 531 students and Grades 10 to 12 enrolments grew by 607 students, the bulk of it being enrolment growth at the Grade 12 level (an increase of 393 students).

The CCSD said enrolment increases in Grades 1 to 6 and Grades 7 to 9 are consistent with significant projected increases and represent net immigration of families to the Calgary Metropolitan Area over the last year, especially within the downtown areas. According to data from Statistics Canada, Calgary saw a growth rate of 5.9 per cent between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023 which makes it the fastest growing city in Canada.

“These significant enrolment growth numbers across CCSD are reflective of a compelling intensification of the turn-around in Alberta demographics and economic activity, most specifically during the last year,” the report read.

“Prior to this time, Alberta and the Calgary area were experiencing a downturn in demographics. However, since then the relative affordability and draw for families to Alberta compared to other Canadian provinces has created a groundswell of student enrolments across all Metro school districts in Alberta.”

Most schools within the Catholic school district also have a utilization rate of more than 80 per cent in the 2024-2025 academic year. Thirty schools have a utilization rate of 100 per cent or higher, including:

1. Blessed Marie- Rose School
2. Our Lady of Grace School
3. Divine Mercy School
4. Moinsigner J.S. Smith School
5. Prince of Peace School
6. St. Isabella School
7. All Saints High School
8. Moinsigner J.J. O’Brien
9. Our Lady of Peace School
10. St. Catherine School
11. St. John Henry Newman School
12. St. Sebastian School
13. Apostles of Jesus School
14. Bishop McNally High School
15. Moinsigner Neville Anderson
16. Notre Dame School
17. Our Lady Queen of Peace
18. St Veronica School
19. Mother Mary Greene School
20. St. Francis High School
21. Bishop Carroll High School
22. Sacred Heart School
23. Father Lacombe High School
24. Our Lady of Wisdom
25. St. Anne School
26. St. Kateri School
27. St. Mark School
28. St. Martha School
29. St. Rupert School
30. St. Thomas More School

To combat enrolment pressures, the CCSD prepared a preliminary list of requests to Alberta Education for more portable and modular classrooms across the district. According to a memorandum, the list was made after assessing anticipating needs and trends for the 2025-2026 academic year based on utilization rates, enrolment trends and input from superintendents and area directors.

Schools listed as potential priorities for modular classroom relocations include:

1. Notre Dame High School
2. Our Lady of Wisdom School
3. Our Lady of Peace School
4. St. Rupert School
5. St. Veronica School
6. Monsignor J.S. Smith School
7. Monsignor Neville Anderson School
8. St. Thomas More School
9. Mother Mary Greene School
10. St. Martha School
11. St. John Henry Newman School
12. St. Ambrose School
13. Holy Child School
14. St. Vincent de Paul School
15. St. Bede School
16. Holy Family School
17. St. Alphonsus School

Schools listed as potential priorities for new modular classrooms include:

1. Notre Dame High School
2. Our Lady of Peace School
3. St. Veronica School
4. St. Alphonsus School

The CCSD said it will also work with operationally small schools – schools with less than 150 students – to increase enrolment to “more sustainable levels.” According to a separate report, these schools need more resources to remain operational, which creates an imbalance. The CCSD added that larger student populations mean resource allocation can be done fairly, reasonably and consistently.

Currently, five K-6 schools are classified as operationally small, including:

1. St. Andrew School
2. St. Bernadette School
3. St. Boniface School
4. St. Rita School
5. St. William School

Of note, St. Bernadette and St. Rita schools increased their enrolment in the 2024-2025 school year. St. Bernadette School went from 123 students in the 2023-2024 school year to 141 students in the 2024-2025 school year. St. Rita School went from 102 students in the 2023-2024 school year to 105 students in the 2024-2025 school year.

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