We are growing! Change is happening

More than 58,000 students are currently enrolled in the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE)! In the last five years, enrolment has increased by more than 8,100. As our region's population expands (Nova Scotia's population reached one million last year), new families register within our system on an ongoing basis. This is an exciting time for our province, our city and for HRCE!

Each year in February, HRCE gathers registrations for the following school year and then our teams begin the process of planning. 

To ensure there are learning spaces, resources, and staff ready to welcome all students, over the past six years, we’ve: 

• opened 5 new schools
• added 141 modular classrooms
• made use of 60 portable classrooms 
• reconfigured more than 50 schools 

Creating Space

As our student population grows, so does our need for more space. We are responding quickly to ensure all students have safe, welcoming & comfortable learning spaces. You may have seen portable classrooms or larger modular units with multiple classrooms popping up within your school communities. These are quick, shorter-term solutions to accommodate growth. A longer-term solution includes the construction of new schools.

When making decisions to accommodate growth, the HRCE applies the following principles:

• Meeting Provincial Class Cap Guidelines within existing space;
• Creating more space by adding portable or modular classroom(s) to meet Provincial Class Cap Guidelines;
• Accommodating students in schools with available space within the Family of Schools or geographic area; and
• Accommodating students in schools with available space within the HRCE but outside of their Family of Schools or geographic area.

Our goal is to ease enrolment pressures & ensure consistency for the most students for the greatest length of time.

Visit our Capital Projects page for more information on the portables, modular units and new school projects that are currently underway.

Work in Progress

See for yourself! The videos below highlight some of our newer construction projects to help accommodate enrolment growth in HRCE:

• Growth in HRCE: Then & Now
• Modular Additions in HRCE
• Imagine the Possibilities! Recent New School Construction

Recruiting Talent

Growing student enrolment gives us the opportunity to welcome more talent to HRCE, including teachers, early childhood educators, education support staff and many more individuals who ensure families and students are supported. HRCE employees support students in almost 2,000 positions across our system.

Our ongoing recruitment efforts to help meet the needs of our growing system include hiring Bachelor of Education students for immediate substitute work, attending job fairs, partnering with educational institutions, and working with community partners such as NS Works, ISANS and APTEC. We’ve also begun recruitment efforts for 2023-24 and welcome applicants to our expression of interest postings for specialty areas.

Interested in applying for a job with HRCE? 

Click here to view current opportunities.

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