April 18, 2024

Dear Online Elementary and Junior High Families, 

We are writing to follow up on the online meeting held on Thursday, April 18, and provide you with some important updates regarding online learning.

During that meeting, we shared the difficult but necessary decision that starting in September 2024, Edmonton Catholic Schools will no longer offer elementary and junior high online programming. We understand this news may come as a surprise, and we want to assure you that the decision was not made lightly.

We have reviewed our pre-enrolment numbers and found a significant decline in the number of students in Grades 3-9 requesting online learning as more and more of our students opt for a return to in-person learning. Only 43 students are registered for the 2024-2025 school year, down 67% from the number of students we are currently serving. This decrease has brought us to a point where maintaining an online learning program that delivers a robust and effective educational experience is becoming increasingly challenging and no longer feasible. As a result, we will not offer online learning at the elementary or junior high levels for the next school year. 

We want to share the following options for your consideration:

• We encourage students to return to in-person learning at their community school, where we can assist them with the transition and ensure that the required supports are in place for September 2024. Students entering Grades 4-6 are welcome to enrol at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Elementary School.
• Families interested in continuing with at-home learning can explore home education through ECSD. Parents/guardians are responsible for managing, delivering, and supervising their child’s studies. Call 780-441-6080 for more information or visit ecsd.net/home-education.
• Families wanting to remain in an online learning environment are welcome to explore program offerings in other Divisions across the province. 

We understand this decision is disappointing and may pose challenges for your family. If you have any further questions or require more information about next steps, please get in touch with the Principal, Diane Lefebvre, at OLMC or email ecsdplanning@ecsd.net. We remain committed to providing an excellent Catholic education to every student in our care and are here to support your family through this transition.