Wild Rose School Division (WRSD) is discontinuing its full-time kindergarten program in Drayton Valley, with the move expected to help address student complexity and support needs across the division.

The WRSD Board made the decision during its Oct. 20 meeting, following a presentation by the director and coordinator of student support services.

There will be no change in Rocky Mountain House, Condor, and Caroline as schools in WRSD southern district already had part time kindergarten.

Division Superintendent Jodie Mattia says the decision came down to cost, equity and the ability to better distribute resources where they are needed most.

She explains that, as full-time kindergarten programming is optional, the Alberta government only funds it as a part-time program. To supplement this, the division charges parents a fee while also using funding from its instructional budget.

Despite those efforts, Mattia says the program has continued to operate at a deficit, which has grown over the last several years.

Enrolment has also declined, with families often having to choose between kindergarten and daycare, which offers extended hours. The division has particularly seen a drop in rural enrolment, which it partially attributes to declining birth rates.

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Although it was a difficult decision to end the program, Mattia says redirecting those resources will allow the division to better respond to the varying needs of students.

She explains the money currently supplementing kindergarten will be returned to the instructional budget, helping support student complexity throughout the division.

Depending on individual school needs, that could mean additional educational assistants, more teachers to address classroom sizes, family wellness workers and other supports.

The division was also presented with research indicating that early learning gains made through kindergarten become less pronounced around the ages of seven to eight, suggesting those benefits begin to level out over time.

Mattia also pointed to research highlighting the importance of free play. While the division’s kindergarten programming includes time for play, the school setting is naturally more structured than a home or daycare environment.

Drayton Valley is also the only community in the division currently offering the full-time program. Mattia says expanding it to every community would be too costly under the current provincial funding structure.

The change will take effect in the 2027-2028 school year.