Students across the province head back to school next week and in Lethbridge, the public district is seeing another increase in student numbers.

District 51 Superintendent Cheryl Gilmore says enrolment is up by 300 kids this year.

She says that’s great, but it also brings its challenges.

Gilmore says the growing enrolment continues to put big pressures on the district, especially on the west side where at least one or two new elementary schools is needed in the near future.

And, she says with no provincial budget yet, they’ve had do their best preparing for this new school year with some assumptions.

Gilmore says the UCP government has indicated it will fund growing enrolment this year, which is a good thing for the local public district.