Typically, the days of July and August are a time for students to relax, socialize and work. A time when any thought of school is silenced and squashed. But as post-secondary courses become more competitive, more Calgary students are opting to continue school year round, both in-person and online.
For both the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD), 2025 summer school enrollment numbers triumph those from the isolated, pandemic days of 2020.
In 2025, 15,543* CBE and CCSD students will be taking some form of summer schooling, an increase of nearly 1,000 students from the year prior.
Ken Weipert, a CBE education director who oversees schools that offer summer school programming, predicts that the enrollment increase is sustainable.
“We’ve seen with increasing demand for very high grades to get into many post secondary programs, a lot of students need it as an opportunity to upgrade their mark,” he said.
Weipert said that summer courses are great for upgrading and re-doing courses, but may not be as strong for first time learners.
“An entire semester is condensed into one month, so the pace is pretty quick to cover the curriculum, especially if it’s a diploma course because then you also have to prep for writing the diploma exam, all in one month,” Weipert said.
“For students who’ve (already) taken a course, let’s say they’ve applied to a post secondary program, they need an average of 85 and they have an 83, upgrading one of their courses and doing it a second time through summer school can be a great option.”
Typically, first time students opt for less curriculum heavy classes, like career and life management, rather than core classes, according to Weipert.
According to a CBE issued statement, high school students can either take one course or earn credits while gaining valuable work experience through off-campus opportunities during the summer.
In-person CBE classes are offered through Chinook Learning Services at multiple high schools throughout the city. Classes take place from July 2 to 25. Online courses are offered through CBe-learn. Classes take place from June 30 to July 24. Summer off-campus courses are offered through Chinook Learning Services and Unique Pathways.
CBE credit courses offered include CALM, English Language Arts, Mathematics and Physical Education, among others.
“Students may register for a maximum of one course for summer school. Due to limited space and resources, only current CBE students in Grades 10 – 12 can register. Current CBE Grade 9 students can only register in Mathematics 15,” the CBE statement read.
Similarly, the CCSD offers summer school from July 2 to 29, 2025. Students are able to take up to 10 credits worth of courses in a variety of high school course offerings, including in person and online, at the 10, 20 and 30 level and work experience.
Weipert said that offering both in-person and online summer courses is beneficial and is expected to continue year over year.
“Every student learns differently, and they have different resources at home. We run online schooling all year as well for students for whom it is a better or more accessible option than attending a particular class. Some learners realize they learn best in person and opt for the in person summer school programming,” he said.
“If they’re at home and relying on their own time management skills, they know that they’re probably not going to put in the effort that they would if they’re in a classroom, working alongside peers with a teacher, or they know that they learn better with that face-to-face interaction with their peers and with their teacher to ask questions.”
*Numbers are accurate to time of publication. CCSD issued numbers are approximate and rounded to nearest 100.
