Senior Administration presented the 2022 Capital Plan to Trustees at the Board Meeting on Tuesday, April 26. The Capital Plan provides an update to community partners on the status of the Lambton Kent District School Board’s (LKDSB) school conditions and demographics.

The total enrolment for the LKDSB in the 2021-2022 school year is 21,572 students. LKDSB elementary enrolment increased by 319 students (14,591 students in total) over the previous school year. Secondary enrolment increased by 234 students (6,981 students in total) over the previous school year. The increase was the result of students returning from homeschooling program, students participating in the remote learning program, and continued migration to the area.

Although there was a positive increase in enrollment this school year, the LKDSB is still facing overall declining enrollment, with a 7.08 per cent decline in overall student population compared to a decade earlier. The ten-year projections indicate that overall enrolment will continue to decline at a marginal pace. By 2032, LKDSB enrollment is expected to decline by approximately 308 students.

The outlook for September 2022 enrollment remains positive, with a projected enrolment of 14,346 elementary students and 7,380 secondary students. Of these totals, it is expected there will be approximately 146 students enrolled in the virtual learning elementary program and approximately 160 students enrolled in virtual learning secondary program in the 2022-2023 school year. The LKDSB is estimated to be at 76 per cent capacity for elementary schools and 66 per cent capacity for secondary schools in September 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to have a significant impact on the 2021-2022 school year and school and Board operations. Funding provided by the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream supported LKDSB to complete several capital projects at schools throughout the district, including air quality improvements, window replacements, water bottle refill stations and HVAC improvements. Due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, Ministry of Education directions and local Public Health recommendations, schools have periodically been closed to community use and rentals of school facilities during the 2021-2022 school year, which has had an impact on Board revenues for this year. LKDSB is committed to supporting local partnerships as it strengthens the role of schools in communities and facilitates the coordination of, and improved access to, services for students and the broader community.

“We are pleased to see the positive trend in migration into the LKDSB’s catchment area and the benefits for enrollment and funding to support learning and resources in schools,” said LKDSB Chair Randy Campbell. “We are hopeful this trend continues, but we understand that we must make responsible decisions based on historical and current enrollment projections to ensure that we are maximizing student programming and funding allocations to best support student achievement and well-being.”