Recent data shows that Prairie South School Division has 64 classes with more than 28 students this semester and 79 classes with fewer than 10 students this semester.
Central Collegiate in Moose Jaw had 33 classes with over 28 youths each as of Feb. 11, the most throughout the division, a recent class size report showed.
Other schools with packed classrooms included Cornerstone Christian School with seven classes; Peacock Collegiate with six classes; Central Butte with five classes; Ecole Palliser Heights School and Sunningdale School with three classes each; Lafleche Central School and Assiniboia Composite High School with two classes each; and Lindale School, William Grayson School and Caronport Elementary School with one class each.
Meanwhile, Rouleau School had 13 classes with fewer than 10 students on Feb. 11.
Other schools with small class sizes include Craik School with seven classes; Mankota, Chaplin and Bengough schools with six classes; Mortlach School with five classes; Mossbank, Coronach and Central Butte with four classes; Rockglen, Lafleche, Kincaid, Glenworth, Eyebrow, Cornerstone Christian School and Briercrest Christian Academy with three classes each; and Westmount, Riverview Collegiate, and Avonlea with one class each.
Division administration presented the biannual class-size report during the March 1 board of education meeting.
The fact Central Collegiate has 33 classes with more than 28 students concerned trustee Lew Young, who pointed out that Peacock — a similarly sized high school — only had six such classes. He wondered why this discrepancy existed.
Everything is a balancing act, which means both high schools start with pupil-teacher ratios of 25:1, explained superintendent Derrick Huschi. Every time there is a class with fewer than 25 students, another class must have more than that number.
“So Central … the way kids changed their classes from semester 1 to semester 2, put a little bit more pressure on their semester 2 classes,” he continued. “Whereas, Peacock’s probably had a bit more pressure in semester 1.”
Every time students move from one class to another or want to change their schedule after it’s been created, this influences the number of classes with more than — or fewer than — 28 students, Huschi noted. So, while Central has more such classes this time around, Peacock has also had similar situations in the past.
The next PSSD board meeting is Tuesday, April 5.
