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Students across Windsor-Essex returned to the classroom Tuesday, with local school boards reporting a notable increase in enrolment for the 2024-25 academic year.
“We’re up in both the elementary and secondary panel by around 680 students,” said Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board spokesman Stephen Fields. “These are some very healthy enrolment numbers.
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The local Catholic board’s total student enrolment tally stands at about approximately 23,700 students this fall, Fields told the Star.
“We do get some late registrations trickling in once school starts, so we expect that those numbers will continue to go up for the month of September.”
As a result of the increase, the Catholic school board hired 53 elementary and 17 secondary teachers, according to Fields.
The Greater Essex County District School Board welcomed students Tuesday to two new public schools.
In Tecumseh, Beacon Heights Public School opened its doors to about 650 students in kindergarten to Grade 8. The school also includes four new child care rooms, offering up to 73 child care spaces for local families for the year.
Erie Migration District School in Kingsville will welcome up to 1,750 students from kindergarten to Grade 12.
A big change at all schools across the province this fall is a new in-class cellphone ban. Students in kindergarten through Grade 6 are required to keep their phones on silent and out of sight throughout the day, except when permitted by an educator.
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Students in Grades 7-12 can use their cellphones on school property outside of the classroom.
At the local Catholic board, a number of improvements were made at Windsor’s FJ Brennan Catholic High School, including an upgraded outdoor track. Fields said the school also added an esthetics program this year, which has seen “healthy numbers in terms of enrolment.
“We’ve also added a new welding program at the St. Anne Catholic Skilled Trades and Learning Centre,” Fields said. “We’ve got 18 new welding booths there that are state-of-the-art.
“In addition to the welding program, we also have masonry, construction, plumbing and electrical programs.”
A spokesperson for the local public school board, with information on that board’s 2024/25 student enrolment, could not be reached prior to Star print deadline Tuesday.
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The City of Windsor is reminding residents to anticipate heavier traffic and an increased demand for parking near schools and in residential neighbourhoods during morning and afternoon hours.
“Safety is our top priority,” said Bill Kralovensky, the city’s coordinator of parking services. “We’re asking everyone to be patient and cautious as students head back to school.
“Please adhere to speed limits, follow traffic signals, and watch for children crossing the street,” Kralovensky said.
“We’re very excited about school starting off,” Fields told the Star. “We want to make sure that we’re preparing our students with everything that they need so that they can live purposeful and meaningful lives.”
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