No more choosing high school, Regina public system says

Students attending Regina public high schools will no longer get to choose which one they attend.

Instead, students will go to the school that is designated for them, based on where they live. The school board has carved up Regina into eight zones and each zone is attached to a high school. The new approach will be in effect starting with the 2015-16 school year.

"I think this is the idea of having a family of neighbourhood schools," Darren Boldt, an official with the school board said. "You will be going to school both elementary and high school with the people you live with."

Officials also want to ensure the student population is spread among all high schools. They note some high schools are very near to full and others have unused space. The board is also predicting an additional 2,500 high school-aged students by 2023.

"We need to anticipate those changes and ensure that we have capacity in those schools," Boldt said.

He added another element of the new policy relates to equity.

"Even more important, we want to provide an equitable opportunity, educational opportunity, for all of our students in our city," Boldt said, noting that schools with more students are able to offer more programs. "This really and truly is doing the right thing for students in our city and that's providing the same quality of experiences in all of our schools as opposed to where students attend."