March 3, 2026
Planning and Engagement Underway for J.H. Picard High School Program
Edmonton Catholic Schools met with the J.H. Picard School Advisory Council on March 2, 2026 to provide an update on the Viability Improvement Process (VIP) and to share plans for upcoming engagement with the school community.
J.H. Picard was first identified as a VIP school in 2023–2024 due to low high school enrolment and retention.
What is a VIP School?
The Viability Improvement Process is used when a school is experiencing enrolment challenges and is a multi-year planning and support process that focuses on strengthening the school and improving long-term sustainability. When a school is identified as VIP, the Division commits additional time, resources, and planning support to better understand local needs and to develop an action plan tailored to that school.
About J.H. Picard
J.H. Picard Catholic Elementary/Junior/Senior High School is a single-track French Immersion K–12 school with strong enrolment in the elementary and junior high. The school is currently operating at 91% overall utilization, which is considered healthy and within the optimal range.
However, high school enrolment has declined over the past year and remains significantly smaller than that of other high schools in the Division. In the 2025-2026 school year, 190 students are enrolled in Grades 10–12, making it the smallest high school cohort in ECSD.
Smaller cohort sizes make it difficult to sustain a full high school program with the range of academic, cultural, and extracurricular opportunities that families value.
Division Actions to Support a Strong and Sustainable High School Program
Over the past several years, ECSD has taken a number of steps to support the J.H. Picard high school program, including:
- Offering a shuttle service from junior high feeder schools to support a seamless transition into high school and make it easier for students to continue their French Immersion education at J.H. Picard.
- Providing additional funding to strengthen course offerings, ensuring students have access to a broad range of academic options aligned with their interests and post-secondary pathways.
- Expanding extracurricular opportunities to enrich the high school experience and foster student engagement.
- Adding staffing and targeted resources to support both teachers and students, helping sustain diverse programming.
- Gathering feedback through the Division-wide French Immersion Engagement.
While these supports were important, high school enrolment has not increased and is not projected to grow to a level that would strengthen the program over time. As a result, the Division is exploring a solution that supports long-term sustainability.
Next Steps
Over the coming weeks, the Division will be inviting input from the J.H. Picard community through a focus group, a community information evening, and an online questionnaire.
The focus group will bring together students, parents or guardians, and staff from across all levels to share feedback that will help guide planning for the J.H. Picard high school program.
Focus group participants will be invited by J.H. Picard school administration to ensure balanced representation of the school community. If you are interested in being part of this focus group, please email Principal Dallaire by Friday, March 5.
The focus group will meet twice:
- Monday, March 16
- Monday, April 13
In addition to the focus group, a community information evening will be held on Thursday, April 23. This evening will provide an opportunity for all J.H. Picard families and community members to learn more and take part in the conversation. A community questionnaire will also be shared during this period to gather broader input. More information about the online questionnaire will be emailed to families in April. A What We Heard Report summarizing all engagement feedback will be shared in June 2026.
Edmonton Catholic Schools is committed to working alongside the J.H. Picard community throughout this process and to keeping families informed. If you have any questions, please email us at engagement@ecsd.net.