North Vancouver School District starts 2026-27 with 16,261 students as new board takes office November 17
School District 44 reported 16,260.94 funded full-time-equivalent students for September 2026, down from 16,489.91 a year earlier, with the new school board trustees sworn in on November 17.
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North Vancouver School District 44 started the 2026-27 school year with 16,260.94 funded full-time-equivalent students, according to the Ministry of Education's fall data collection. The district presented the figures to its Finance, Audit and Facilities Standing Committee on November 3, 2026, three weeks before the new school board holds its inaugural meeting.
The three school trustees elected in the City of North Vancouver on October 17, Antje Wilson, Peggy Hung and Trish Neufeld, will be sworn in at that meeting on November 17 at the Education Services Centre, 2121 Lonsdale Avenue. The Board of Education has seven trustees in total: the City elects three and the District of North Vancouver elects four.
What the enrollment numbers show
The Ministry's fall data collection, called the 1701 report, is based on a snapshot of enrollment on September 29 each year. It is used to set the district's government funding levels. Each school prepares the report; the figures determine how much money the Province sends to the district for the school year.
The 2026-27 total of 16,260.94 funded full-time-equivalent students comes from four groups: 15,960.44 students in standard schools, 213 in alternate schools, 87 in online learning and 0.50 in continuing education. The district had forecast 16,240.13; the actual count came in 20.81 above that figure.
The total is down from 16,489.91 in September 2025 and 16,481.12 in September 2024. Standard school enrollment accounts for most of the drop, falling from 16,217.41 in 2025-26 to 15,960.44, a decrease of 256.97 FTE in one year. Alternate school enrollment rose from 191 to 213, and online learning rose from 80.88 to 87.
How individual schools compare
The district groups schools into six families, each anchored by a secondary school. The Sutherland family is the only one that grew when measured over three years, reaching 2,844 FTE in 2026-27 when including Cloverley Elementary, which joined the Sutherland family this school year with 371 students. Without Cloverley, Sutherland's FTE would have been 2,473, a three-year drop of 10.51 percent, the largest of any family. The board's presentation noted Cloverley as "New 2026-2027" and listed the two figures separately.
The other five families all fell:
- Seycove fell 5.15 percent over three years to 1,691 FTE
- Carson fell 4.12 percent to 3,746 FTE
- Argyle fell 3.91 percent to 3,020 FTE
- Windsor fell 3.07 percent to 1,657 FTE
- Handsworth held near flat at negative 0.13 percent, reaching 3,002 FTE
Among secondary schools, Argyle had the highest headcount in 2026-27 at 1,604 students, followed by Handsworth at 1,571, Carson Graham at 1,395, Sutherland at 1,163, Windsor at 955 and Seycove at 600, as reported in the September 2026 1701 report.
Students receiving extra funding
The September 2026 1701 report shows changes in the number of students receiving extra funding:
- Inclusive Education Level 2: 979 students, up from 887 in September 2025
- Inclusive Education Level 3: 226 students, up from 199
- English Language Learners: 1,518 students, down from 1,703
- Indigenous Education: 596 students
The presentation did not explain the reasons behind these changes. All figures come from the Ministry's fall data collection and were reported as final numbers, not forecasts.
Class sizes and Kindergarten
The district's collective agreement sets the maximum class size at 20 for Kindergarten and 30 for secondary Grades 8 to 12. The 2026-27 report shows secondary average class sizes ranging from 22.6 at Seycove to 27.7 at Sutherland, all within the maximum.
The district also reported 380 Kindergarten registrations as of October 29, 2026, up from 341 in October 2025. These are registrations through the district's online NVSD STAR system, not final enrollment counts.
What the district said about its priorities
The November 3 presentation listed several enrollment management priorities, including working more closely with the municipalities on enrollment projections and reviewing school catchment areas. It named secondary fill rates and ongoing catchment reviews as areas of emerging focus.
What comes next
The three City of North Vancouver school trustees join the Board of Education on November 17. Peggy Hung's campaign committed to advocating for adequate and sustainable school funding and fair allocation of resources. Antje Wilson's platform committed to advocating for investment in North Vancouver schools. Both trustees can be followed at the promise tracker.
The inaugural meeting on November 17 is open to the public. It runs from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm at the Education Services Centre, 2121 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, with parking on P1 off West 21st Street and Lonsdale Avenue.
The board holds its next Finance, Audit and Facilities committee meeting on December 1, 2026, at 6:00 pm, online only. The next regular public board meeting is December 15, 2026, at 6:30 pm at the same address. Members of the public can submit written comments by 1:00 pm on the day of any meeting by emailing the district or leaving a voicemail at 604-998-5100.
Questions this story answers
How many students are enrolled in North Vancouver School District in 2026-27?
The Ministry of Education's fall data collection, known as the 1701 report and based on a September 29, 2026 snapshot, shows 16,260.94 funded full-time-equivalent students in School District 44 for 2026-27. That figure includes 15,960.44 in standard schools, 213 in alternate schools, 87 in online learning and 0.50 in continuing education, as reported to the district's Finance, Audit and Facilities Standing Committee on November 3, 2026.
How does 2026-27 enrollment compare to last year?
School District 44's funded full-time-equivalent count for September 2026 was 16,260.94, down from 16,489.91 in September 2025 and 16,481.12 in September 2024. Standard school enrollment fell from 16,217.41 to 15,960.44, a drop of 256.97 FTE over one year, according to the district's enrollment update presented on November 3, 2026.
Which North Vancouver secondary school has the most students in 2026-27?
Argyle Secondary has the highest headcount among North Vancouver secondary schools in 2026-27 at 1,604 students, up 17 from 1,587 in 2025-26, according to the September 2026 1701 report. Handsworth follows at 1,571 students (down 13) and Carson Graham at 1,395 (down 1). Sutherland grew to 1,163 (up 17), Windsor fell to 955 (down 7) and Seycove to 600 (down 14).
Which family of schools grew in enrollment and which fell?
Sutherland, when including the newly added Cloverley school, grew 2.91 percent over three years to 2,844 FTE in 2026-27, the only family of schools with a positive three-year trend. Seycove fell 5.15 percent to 1,691 FTE, Carson fell 4.12 percent to 3,746 FTE, Argyle fell 3.91 percent to 3,020 FTE, Windsor fell 3.07 percent to 1,657 FTE, and Handsworth held at negative 0.13 percent at 3,002 FTE, as reported in the district's November 2026 enrollment update.
When does the new North Vancouver Board of Education hold its inaugural meeting?
The inaugural meeting of the North Vancouver Board of Education, at which the new trustees will be sworn in, is on Tuesday, November 17, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm, at the Education Services Centre, 2121 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver. The City of North Vancouver's three trustees elected on October 17 are Antje Wilson, Peggy Hung and Trish Neufeld. The meeting is listed on the school district's public meetings page at sd44.ca.
How many Kindergarten students have registered for North Vancouver schools?
The district reported 380 Kindergarten registrations as of October 29, 2026, up from 341 in October 2025, through its online NVSD STAR system. The district's Finance, Audit and Facilities committee received this figure at its November 3, 2026 meeting.
What are the class size limits in North Vancouver schools?
The North Vancouver School District's collective agreement sets maximum class sizes at 20 for Kindergarten, 22 or 23 for Grades 1 to 3, 27 or 29 for Grades 4 to 7, and 30 for secondary Grades 8 to 12. The September 2026 1701 report shows average secondary class sizes ranging from 22.6 at Seycove to 27.7 at Sutherland, all below the maximum of 30.
How many students in North Vancouver schools receive supplemental funding?
The September 2026 1701 report shows 979 students receiving Inclusive Education Level 2 funding (up from 887 in September 2025), 226 receiving Level 3 funding (up from 199), 1,518 receiving English Language Learner funding (down from 1,703), and 596 receiving Indigenous Education funding, across School District 44.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- North Vancouver School District · Enrollment Update, October 2026 (FAF Standing Committee, November 3, 2026)sd44.ca
- BC Ministry of Education · Student Success Reporting, School District 44 North Vancouverstudentsuccess.gov.bc.ca
- North Vancouver School District · Public Meetings, 2026-27 schedulesd44.ca
- City of North Vancouver · 2026 Local Government Election, Official Election Resultswww2.cnv.org
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