The Centre de services scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands (CSSVT) is facing the highest student population growth in the Montérégie region as the 2026-2027 school year begins.
During a media briefing at the CSSVT office in Beauharnois on August 27, director general Suzie Vranderick provided an update on the trends in student enrollment, transportation and staffing at the service centre.
At the preschool and elementary level, CSSVT schools have seen an increase of 221 students over last year’s enrollment, while at the high school level, there are an additional 289 students. The service centre welcomed 19 more students to its adult general education program, while the vocational training programs have seen a drop in enrollment by 55 students.
“As we welcome nearly 13,000 students this year, we are continuing our efforts to provide stimulating, inclusive learning environments tailored to the needs of a constantly evolving population,” said Vranderick. “Thanks to the commitment of our teams and the investments made in our infrastructure and services, we remain firmly focused on our priority: providing every student with the conditions necessary to reach their full potential and achieve success throughout their educational journey,” she added.
Along with an increasing student population comes additional challenges. Vranderick acknowledged that school transportation represents a major logistical operation for the CSSVT. As of August 26, 164 vehicles were required, including 85 buses, 26 minibuses, seven adapted vehicles, and 46 passenger cars. In total, 64 per cent of the CSSVT’s students rely on school transportation. The annual cost of this service amounts to $15 million, or an average of $1,990 per student.
Staffing is another hurdle. Most student services positions have been filled, while five teaching positions are available out of a total of 1,017. For professional staff, only one position is vacant out of 45, and there are 12 positions to be filled for support staff out of a total of 351 total posts.
“Thanks to the efforts of our recruitment team, the vast majority of student-facing positions have been filled, allowing us to start the year with strong teams ready to take on the challenges ahead,” said François Robichaud, the assistant director general for student success at the CSSVT.