The Peace River North School District is located on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains in the northern tip of the Canadian Prairies. The region’s economy is both prosperous and expanding. This positive economic outlook is based on the petro-chemical, agriculture, forestry, tourism and commercial/service industries. The availability of employment has an impact on the secondary student population with estimates of 70% of our secondary students working between 14 and 40 hours weekly.
The district’s schools provide education services to 5792 students. Our schools range in size and number including an Open Learning School, three two-room rural schools and four kindergarten to secondary grade schools. The major center, Fort St. John, hosts six modern elementary schools, two middle schools, and one large senior secondary school. There are also three elementary schools in the surrounding communities of Taylor, Charlie Lake and Baldonnel. The district also hosts one of the nine provincial Distance Educations schools, which serves the northeast region and parts of the Northwest Territories.
A large portion of the student population begin and end their public schooling in the Peace River North School District. However, the needs of the petro-chemical industry results in a number of families moving to and from Alberta.
The district’s student population is diverse. At this time, we accommodate the education needs of our First Nations students who make up eighteen percent of our student population, our European ESL students, and the dominant Caucasian student population. The district’s character is also diverse with the need to blend rural and the urban philosophies and the distinct provincial perspectives of two strong provinces, Alberta and BC. There is also a strong northern influence with a community philosophy that values personal resilience, the sense of entrepreneurial spirit, and hard work.
School District 60 is committed to providing a quality education program to all students. Highlights of our educational program include a commitment to early intervention, early and late French Immersion, inclusion based student support services, a band program, the meaningful integration of technology, an Aboriginal Student Support Worker Program, an Outdoor Education site, a strong focus on transitions to careers as evidenced in the Secondary School Apprenticeship and Project Heavy Duty programs, and a nationally recognized Wireless Writing Program.