The South East Cornerstone School Division has seen its student base climb for the 2010-11 school year.

Director of education Dr. Marc Casavant said South East Cornerstone has 7,954 students, which is about 56 more than it had last year. And a few more students could be arriving.

“After the long weekend, that's when we start to get a better indication of where the numbers will actually be at,” said Casavant.

The attendance increase includes the Estevan Comprehensive School, whose enrolment was about 70 more students than expected. (See accompanying story for more information).

“The southeast is robust and growing in terms of the oil activity, and I think we're starting to see that slowly (have an impact) in terms of students in schools,” said Casavant.

South East Cornerstone also operates four Kindergarten to Grade 8 schools in Estevan. Hillcrest School has 171 students, Pleasantdale School has 219, Westview School has 186 and Spruce Ridge School has 425.

The official enrolments for South East Cornerstone, and other school divisions in Saskatchewan, will be tabulated on September 17.

South East Cornerstone will also open a new school this year. The Oxbow Prairie Horizons School is slated to open on December 15, but if excess precipitation persists, the opening date will be pushed back, Casavant said.

“I think the community is really behind it,” said Casavant. “Certainly the administration and the teaching staff are excited. Any indication I've gotten from parents in the community is they're very excited as well.”

Once the project is complete, the school will house Kindergarten to Grade 12 students from the Oxbow area.