Chinese families are sending their kindergarten to Grade 12 students to School District 43 in large numbers, according to SD43 statistics.
The latest stats show that 62% of students attending K-12 schools here are from China, with Korea the next largest source country at 20%.
According to School District 43 superintendent Patricia Gartland, the school district has spent years building trust with families in Asia, and Chinese families believe SD43 is a good place to get an education.
Education is the "number one industry in terms of Canada-China trade," said Gartland, who also heads up the district's International Education program.
This year the district saw a substantial increase in foreign student enrollment, from 1,150 last year to 1,500 this year, enabling the district to balance its budget, Gartland said.
Students pay $13,000 a year to attend schools here. Most of the students, 83% attend high school classes, with the remainer, 10%, attending middle school and 7% attending elementary school.
