More than 12,000 students are expected to return to Lethbridge School Division classrooms Tuesday as the new school year begins.
School board chair Christine Light said the division is looking forward to working with parents and families in the year ahead. She acknowledged the first day can be an emotional one, particularly for parents dropping their children off at school for the first time.
“I’ve been there myself as a parent,” Light said. “But I can assure that those children are in excellent hands.”
Light said teachers are excited to welcome students back and that children will be cared for and welcomed in their classrooms.
Superintendent Mike Nightingale echoed those sentiments, saying the division is also excited to welcome students to its 25 schools.
“We’re always incredibly excited to have the opportunity to serve the community and to serve students,” Nightingale said.
He added the school year is starting with new teachers after the division received provincial funding for 28 additional teachers last year, with the new positions aimed at helping address class sizes.
However, he cautioned that some classes will still be larger than desired, given the size of the division.
“When you have 12,000 students over 25 schools, you know, the class sizes aren’t always going to be perfect,” he said.
The division has also added staff through provincial funding for 10 classroom-complexity teams. The teams are intended to support students in kindergarten to Grade 6 schools.
Nightingale said the division has seen positive results since the teams were introduced at the elementary level.
“We greatly appreciate that funding, and it does make a big difference,” he said.
However, he explained the division continues to advocate for more funding and staffing.
