Student Numbers Continue to Climb Across Bluewater District Schools

Bluewater District School Board reports 236 more students this fall, with Dundalk, Port Elgin, Meaford, and Thornbury seeing the sharpest growth.

The Bluewater District School Board is welcoming 236 more students this fall compared to last year, bringing total enrolment across Grey-Bruce schools to just over 18,900.

It marks steady growth for the board, which has added more than 2,400 students in five years — a 14% increase since the 2020–21 school year, when total enrolment stood around 16,500.

Enrolment is not just a headcount. The numbers, reported to the Ministry of Education twice a year, directly affect the amount of provincial funding Bluewater receives.

With more students in classrooms, the board says it is better positioned to invest in programs, staffing, and facilities.

According to Bluewater’s communications officer Jamie Pettit, COVID-era migration from urban centres and new housing developments across Grey-Bruce are driving the increase.

While growth is being seen across the board, it is most pronounced in Dundalk, Port Elgin, Meaford, and Thornbury.

The rising student population is already reshaping local schools. Utilization rates — how full a school is compared to the space it was designed for — have been climbing steadily, which the board says leads to operating efficiencies and opportunities to reinvest.

To meet the demand, Bluewater is currently undertaking several major building projects, including new schools in Dundalk and Port Elgin, a replacement school for Kincardine, and the recently opened Beavercrest Community School in Markdale.

The board’s official enrolment count will be finalized on October 31, when numbers are submitted to the province.