BGSD enrollment growth slows in 2025

LEDUC COUNTY -- Student enrollment for the Black Gold School Division has come in at 0.73% for 2025.

This marks the lowest enrollment growth for the Division in the last five years, as the BGSD added just 98 students. Associate Superintendent Chelsey Volkman says their latest enrollment numbers came in lower than expected.

"This is lower than we projected -- we had projected about a two per cent increase," said Volkman. "We didn't quite see the same level of increase that we have seen in previous years." 

The 98 students added in 2025 is down from 395 that were added the year prior. In 2023, the Division grew by 216 students, while 305 students were added in 2022. For the City of Leduc, student enrollment is mostly unchanged from the previous year, coming in at 5,512 for 2025. Beaumont saw the largest increase in enrollment growth, gaining 105 students this year for a total of 4,908.

"The report also shows the increase by community," said Volkman. "You'll note that Beaumont -- which is our fastest growing community -- did experience the most growth in terms of numbers." 

Alternative Education in Calmar saw the second highest enrollment growth as of September 29, 2025. Meantime, student enrollment in the Town of Devon shrank by 6.08% since the previous school year, which marked the biggest drop of any jurisdiction within the Black Gold School Division.

The total number of students enrolled in Thorsby fell from 452 last year to 428 in 2025. It's expected that within the next month, the BGSD will have access to more information as to why growth has slowed across the Division.

"We have to look at, was there just less students within some of these communities, fewer kindergarten kids coming in, and more grade twelves leaving," said Volkman. "Or, is it that Black Gold isn't capturing as many students as we had in previous years."

There are 13,603 students enrolled in BGSD schools for the 2025-2026 school year.