WECDSB sees enrolment surge over 25,000 students for 2025-26 school year

The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board is reporting an increase in enrolment at its schools.

The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board is reporting high enrolment numbers for the 2025-26 school year.

Prior to the start of the school year, the board was predicting an enrolment rate of approximately 24,500 students.

At the end of August, enrolment number showed nearly 15,000 elementary students, 8,500 secondary students, and 1,000 adults attending St. Michael’s Adult Catholic High School.

Emelda Byrne, Director of Education with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, said that total number has since grown approximately 750 students to over 25,250 total.

Bryne said they’re seeing higher enrolment rates than previously predicted.

“We have approximately 350 additional students to our elementary, JK to Grade 8. And another 400 additional students to our secondary panel. So approximately 750 new students to our Catholic schools this September.”

She said this uptick is due to the programs being offered.

“Especially in our skilled trades area, that has picked up enrolment for sure. In the area of STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics], IB [International Baccalaureate], some of our sites as well, so a lot to do with programming for sure.”

Ontario school boards receive the majority of their operating funds from the provincial government through the Core Education Funding program, which is primarily based on enrolment.

Byrne said higher enrolment means additional funding for their yearly budget.

“Which means we can put more resources into classrooms, and we’ve done that, actually literacy/numeracy recourses, ESL for English Second Language resources to support our students and our newcomers, as well as basic necessities like new desks and chairs.”

Byrne said this is the third year the board has seen increasing enrolment numbers.

The Catholic board saw approximately 23,700 students for the 2024-25 school year.

As a result of these high enrolment numbers, the WECDSB has hired 39 full-time elementary teachers and 27 full-time secondary teachers for the 2025-26 school year.

- Written by Meagan Delaurier/AM800 News.