~Division Office
Board Approves 2025-2026 School Calendar Adjustment
At their November 26, 2025, meeting, the Pembina Hills Board of Trustees approved an amendment to the 2025–2026 school calendar. The non-instructional day originally scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2026, has been removed for all community school students and will now be a regular school day.
To support high school semester timelines, the Board has moved the May 1 non-instructional day to Wednesday, January 28, 2026, for Grades 10–12 only. Senior high students will not attend school on this day.
This change provides high school teachers with dedicated time to complete assessments and finalize marks ahead of the January 30 deadline set by Alberta Education and Childcare. On the revised calendars, January 28 is now identified as “Semester Turnaround Day (no SH students)”.
Changing May 1 to an instructional day for all students also helps maximize learning time for students following the disruption caused by the October strike/lockout.
The division and alternate school calendars have been updated and are available at pembinahills.ca/calendars and on each school website.
Barrhead Rotary Music Festival Returns March 2026
The Barrhead Rotary Music Festival Committee has submitted its annual request for financial support and venue access for the 46th Annual Barrhead Rotary Music Festival, scheduled for March 11-19, 2026. The festival offers performance categories in piano, speech, voice, and instrumental music.
The board approved a donation of $2,000 to cover entry fees for all Pembina Hills School Division student entries. Pembina Hills also provides the use of space at Barrhead Elementary School (BES) and Barrhead Composite High School (BCHS) for performances.
“This festival continues to play an important part in fine arts education and community engagement. This donation directly benefits PHSD students by ensuring each student can participate and benefit from this enriching experience.” ~ Victoria Kane, Board Chair
Board reviews 2024-2025 Provincial Test Results
The board reviewed a preliminary report on the 2024-2025 Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) and Diploma Exams. These standardized tests help measure how well students are meeting Alberta’s learning expectations.
Grade 6 Results
Grade 6 students showed participation rates similar to or slightly higher than provincial averages. Results were generally in line with the province across English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Social Studies. Science results were particularly strong, with the division scoring above provincial averages.
Grade 9 Results
Grade 9 participation was lower than provincial rates in most subjects. However, students who wrote the tests performed well. Mathematics 9 results showed notable improvement, with 76.7% of writers meeting the acceptable standard—significantly higher than previous years.
Knowledge and Employability (K&E) students showed strong results, often exceeding provincial rates in several subjects.
Diploma Exam Results
High school diploma results showed mixed outcomes. English Language Arts 30-2 and Social Studies 30-2 exceeded provincial averages. Physics 30 results improved significantly, nearly matching provincial rates.
Mathematics and some science courses showed results below provincial averages. The division continues working to improve outcomes in these areas.
Note: Vista Virtual School students are part of the division’s numbers but often do not write PATs due to distance and scheduling challenges. Non-writers are scored as zero, which affects overall results.
Audited Financial Statements for 2024-2025 Approved
The board approved the annual financial statements for the division for the year ended August 31, 2025. The auditors provided a “clean” audit opinion, which means that the financial statements are presented fairly and correctly, in all the ways that would support decision-making.
Grants from the Government of Alberta continue to be the largest source of revenue (making up 95% of all revenue for the division), while salaries and benefits continue to be the largest driver of spending, at 76% of all expenses.
The year’s operating activities resulted in an operating deficit (similar to a net loss) of $664,000. Lower-than-expected funding of $1.4 million was partially offset by lower-than-expected spending, but the result of another deficit year is that the division’s financial position weakened slightly.