Being the new kid at school has never been so popular in the South Okanagan as School District 53 counted an extra 92 students this year over last.

“The total headcount submitted to the Ministry of Education was 2,419 compared to 2,327 in September of 2015,” said SD 53 superintendent Bev Young.

Schools in Oliver are reporting significantly greater increases around the district, she said. Of the 92 new students, “Oliver Elementary has 40 new students, Tuc-el-Nuit 34, and South Okanagan Secondary School has 13,” she said.

It’s impossible to pinpoint every driving force behind the significant enrolment increase but the addition of a corrections facility in Oliver is taking most of the credit.

“A lot of them are definitely from families who moved in for jobs at correction centre. There are also the folks who moved in from other areas but we don’t have hard stats.”

School funding is contingent upon student populations, so the increase means more money is expected. However, the Ministry must first confirm SD53’s tally before cutting any cheques.

Thanks to the greater student population, Young says the district has adjusted resources to facilitate schools with larger populations, and the district is also in a stronger position to be able to provide all the services, particularly for students with “identified needs.”

Young said the district had anticipated Oliver Elementary to experience a significant increase this year, but there was surprise over how much of an increase has been noticed at Tuc-el-Nuit.

The district didn’t anticipate that Good Shepherd Christian School in Osoyoos would be closing its doors before the start of the school year, Young said, and that resulted in an influx of students at Osoyoos Elementary.

“It’s very good news to for the district to see this increase,” she said.

Echoing that sentiment is Mayor Ron Hovanes.

“It’s healthy for students when schools are operating at capacity, and it’s nice to have vibrant schools that can offer more courses.”

Hovanes said that welcoming the prison to town is beneficial to Oliver in far more ways than economics.

“Our corrections officers not only are they feeding the economy, but they’re going to be our coaches, they’re going to be neighbours, and they’re very soon going to become friends of many people. They’re going to be a big part of the fabric of the community.”

DAN WALTON

Regional Reporter