Boundary students return to class Sept. 8 as new school year begins
School District 51 buses are pictured in this district file photo. Boundary students return to class Sept. 8, while 2026–27 bus routes and pickup times are expected to be posted by Sept. 4.
Photo: School District 51
Students across School District 51 will return to class Tuesday, Sept. 8, with a shortened first day and classes running Tuesday through Friday during the opening week.
The first day of the 2026–27 school year will end at 11:30 a.m., according to the district calendar. Schools will also be in session Friday, Sept. 11.
Schools are normally closed Fridays in School District 51 unless otherwise noted on the calendar. Several Fridays become instructional days during weeks affected by statutory holidays or other calendar changes.
The Board of Education approved the 2026–27 calendar at a special meeting March 17. Acting superintendent Kintzinger told trustees the calendar had gone through consultation and met provincial requirements, although a minor adjustment to elementary school bell schedules was needed to meet required instructional hours.
Families relying on school buses will also want to check the district website later this week. School District 51 says routes and pickup times for the 2026–27 school year will be posted by Friday, Sept. 4.
Bus registration and transportation forms are already available. Families registering a student for busing must complete a bus registration or change form and the district’s transportation protocols form. Requests for a new bus stop also require a route amendment form, and completed forms are submitted to the student’s school secretary.
The district operates bus routes throughout the Boundary, including service around Grand Forks, Christina Lake, North Fork, Gilpin, Carson, Greenwood, Midway, Rock Creek, Bridesville, Beaverdell and Christian Valley. Final route times for the coming school year had not yet been posted as of Aug. 31.
School District 51 serves students through six elementary schools, two secondary schools, Big White Community School, which serves kindergarten through Grade 9, and the Walker Development Centre alternate education program.
The district’s elementary schools are Christina Lake, Dr. D.A. Perley, John A. Hutton, Greenwood, West Boundary and Beaverdell. Grand Forks Secondary School and Boundary Central Secondary School serve secondary students.
Parents should also watch for another calendar change later in September. Schools will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 30 for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, but students will attend classes Friday, Oct. 2 that week. Similar Friday school days are scheduled during several holiday-shortened weeks throughout the year.
The full school calendar, transportation forms and, once posted, 2026–27 bus schedules are available through the School District 51 website.
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