Whispering Ridge Community School & Harry Balfour School Boundary Change
Peace Wapiti Public School Division (PWPSD) serves many different students, families and community members and is continually looking to improve and provide the best possible education experience. A student's school experience is impacted by many things including how school grades are arranged, how many students are found within each school, what programs are available, and how long they travel to and from school each day.
On March 14, 2024, the PWPSD Board of Trustees voted in favour of adjusting the Whispering Ridge Community School (WRCS) and Harry Balfour School (HBS) attendance boundaries to alleviate enrollment pressures at WRCS.
Why do we change boundaries?
School boundaries are changed in response to trends in population, impact of growth on school capacities, and the location of new schools. The WRCS and HBS school boundaries will change for the 2024-2025 school year to alleviate enrollment pressures at WRCS.
Whispering Ridge Community School Utilization
Whispering Ridge Community School's utilization rate currently sits at 94% and is expected to continue to increase due to continued high-density residential development in the school's attendance area. The Whispering Ridge subdivision is expected to increase in size from 902 residential lots with an average of 2.5 people per household, to 1,706 developed lots with the total subdivision population projected at 5,260 residents. Population growth of this magnitude will create a critical need for an additional K-8 school in the area.
Whispering Ridge Area Structure Plan, County of Grande Prairie
The latest Area Structure Pan has student populations estimated at 1,250 K-8 public school students and 552 Grade 9-12 public school students residing within the area. This is in addition to the current student populations that are already exceeding recommended utilizations at WRCS and PWA.
Boundary Change for 2024-2025 School Year
Significantly adjust the current WRCS and HBS attendance boundaries. WRCS continues to run as a K-8 school with a reduced school attendance area. The new HBS opens as a K-8 school with an increased school attendance area.
The new attendance boundary will begin approximately 1.5 kilometres south of Highway 43 and a portion of the current southwest attendance area will be moved further west. Families living within this area will begin attending HBS in the 2024-2025 school year.
View on GoogleMaps.
The adjusted enrollment and utilization projections for WRCS and HBS due to this boundary change are shown below.
Timeline
January 15 - 26: Online survey open
Wednesday, January 17: In-person engagement session at Whispering Ridge Community School
Thursday, January 18: In-person engagement session at Harry Balfour School
Thursday, March 14: PWPSD Board of Trustees announce boundary change