The Surrey School District says it has experienced a decline in student enrolment that resulted in a $17-million decrease in provincial funding.

The district said it had about 871 fewer students this school year than in 2024-25, a trend that is anticipated to continue.

Terry Allen, vice-chair of the Surrey school board, said they’re expecting a decrease of more than 800 students per year for the next three years. 

“It’s very, very unusual,” he told CBC’s The Early Edition. “In fact, [it’s] probably the first time I’ve seen it in over 20 years that we’ve had declining enrolment.”

The biggest issue with the enrolment drop is that fewer students means less funding from the province, Allen said. 

“We’re funded on a per-pupil basis,” he said. “If that trend continues, then it becomes more and more difficult to balance your budget.”

In 2023, the district said it was growing at a rate of 2,400-2,500 students per year. That rate slowed in 2024-25 to an increase of 1,400 students, but didn’t begin to decrease until this school year.

In a news release announcing the approval of an amended 2025-26 budget, Allen said the decline in enrolment is “driven largely by external factors such as federal immigration changes, reduced temporary foreign worker permits and families relocating.”

He said the school district’s projections are based on population growth estimates from the city. 

According to the city’s estimates, Surrey is looking at an increase of about 14,000 residents in 2026. That’s compared to an increase of about 26,000 people from 2024 to 2025, and 45,000 people from 2023 to 2024. 

A city spokesperson said they hope to have updated information after the next census this year.

The local teachers association criticized a lack of funding for the district last year when multiple schools ran out of paper, forcing students to share worksheets or use scrap paper for schoolwork. 

The district made massive cuts last year, including to Grade 7 band and educational assistant staffing, saving the district $16 million. 

In September, the board announced it had a $33-million surplus, money which would be used for computer upgrades and a rainy day fund. 

But Allen said that rainy day fund won’t be enough to keep the district going if their budget is continuously cut due to fewer students enrolling. 

“It’s a difficult situation the board’s been put into, but hopefully we’re going to able to navigate through it at the end of the day without any layoffs,” he said.