Elementary and Secondary Overview

District school boards administer publicly funded elementary and secondary schools. Working within the framework of Alberta’s Education Act and its regulations, district school boards adapt provincial education policy to local situations. Trustees, as elected members of the board, represent the local community and provide a link between electors and the education system.

Alberta Learning governs both the Public School Board and the Separate (Catholic) School Board, which are run as separate entities.

Children aged 6 to 16 must attend school. Most opt to remain in school to earn their grade 12 diploma. The high school program is based on the credit system; students earn 1 credit for every 25 hours of instruction. To graduate with a diploma, each student must have 100 credits in Compulsory and Optional courses. Most courses are worth between 3 and 5 credits. To broaden their high school program, students are required to have 10 credits from either Career and Technical studies, Physical Education, Fine Arts, or a second language. Also, they are required to have 10 credits from more in-depth studies (i.e., English, Biology, Physics, etc.).

Alberta is a part of the Western Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Basic Education Kindergarten to Grade 12. This is a project that involves The Northwest Territories, Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Nunavut. They are working on developing common curriculum formats for math, computer guided learning, languages, and cultures.

For detailed information about the Alberta Curriculum, please visit: K to 12 Curriculum and programs of study

The Fraser Institute

Website: http://alberta.compareschoolrankings.org

 The Fraser Institute’s ratings and rankings of Alberta schools including Public, Catholic and Independent schools help parents see how the schools in their city or town are doing academically. The Fraser Report is updated annually. Some schools may not be in the report as to different circumstances including being a new school and not having enough information.

Fort McMurray Public School Board

The Fort McMurray Public School District is responsible for providing public education in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Alternative programs include alternative assisted self-paced studies, French Immersion, Fort McMurray Christian School and Fort McMurray Islamic School. 

Registration

Registration takes place at your local school. Students typically attend the school closest to their home but may register outside their designate attendance boundaries. Restrictions may apply. 

It is advisable to call the school and arrange for an appointment to register your child(ren). You must also bring a copy of your child’s birth certificate. Registration forms are available online at Registration.

Contact Information

Fort McMurray Public School District

231 Hardin Street 

Website: http://fmpsdschools.ca/

Fort McMurray, AB 

Phone: 780-799-7900

Fort McMurray Catholic School Board

The Fort McMurray Catholic Board of Education serves over 4,300 students in ten schools. There are eight elementary and two combined Middle and High Schools.   All schools offer a wide range of programming geared towards meeting the academic, cultural and spiritual needs of the community.

In addition to a faith-based learning environment, this school district offers French Immersion and First Nations, Metis and Inuit language programs. 

Registration

Each school has a designated attendance area and Parents are encouraged to register their children to that school. You may register your child outside of their boundary (choice school) but acceptance is based on space and resource availability. 

If you are going into the school to register, please call ahead and book an appointment so that staff can prepare for you ahead of time. You will need to bring a copy of your child’s Birth Certificate (or other government issued documentation showing the date of birth) and the immunization card/report if available. A copy of the child’s Baptismal Certificate is also required. 

Contact Information

Fort McMurray Catholic School District

9809 Main St. 

Website

Fort McMurray, AB T9H1T7

 Phone: 780-799-5700

Private Schools in Fort McMurray

Private schools also provide elementary and secondary education. There are 2 types of private schools in Alberta; Registered and Accredited. Accredited schools that are operated by a non-profit society or corporation may receive government funding. These schools must employ certified teachers and follow the curriculum laid out by Alberta Learning. Also, students attending Accredited schools are able to earn credits towards their grade 12 provincial graduation diploma.

Registered schools are not funded by the province and are not required to follow the same regulations as Accredited schools. Students attending Registered schools are not able to earn credits towards their grade 12 provincial graduation diploma.

All private schools are evaluated regularly by the Education Minister and must meet all provincial health, safety and building standards.

Application Procedures

Application procedures for private schools differ from school to school. An entrance test and interview with the child are generally required. There is not always availability at your private school of choice and your child’s name may be placed on a waiting list for entrance during the school year or subsequent years. It is a good idea to source out private schools well in advance as their registration for school years takes place in approximately December of the prior year and January and February of the same school year.

 

For information on private schools in Alberta, please visit Our Kids.