When finding the right home and city, one of the most important factors to consider is the accessibility and proximity to schools. In addition to the accessibility and proximity, other contributing factors are quality of education, selection of school type and innovation and vision of the school board. Maple Ridge is a great choice for young families or couples who are planning to have children in the near future. Not only are houses affordable and the neighbourhoods welcoming, friendly and safe, but the Maple Ridge School Board is one of the Lower Mainland’s most forward thinking and diverse school boards. Here is an overview of the Maple Ridge School Board as well as a look at some of the elementary and secondary schools in the city.
School District # 42
School District # 42 encompasses both cities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. It has over 14 000 students enrolled and aims to provide each student with diverse and educational learning opportunities. Maple Ridge has 17 elementary schools (Kindergarten-Grade 7) and 5 high schools (Grade 8-12) located throughout the city.
The school district’s mission statement is: “to fully support all students in their personal development as successful learners and respectful contributors to society.” The overall vision of the school board is to make all of their students feel valued and enable all learners to reach their fullest potential. Maple Ridge has a graduation rate of 91% which is far higher than the provincial rate of 83%. The district strives to offer a wide range of unique programs as well as French Immersion to meet the needs of all students.
Programs
School District # 42 aims at providing its learners with dynamic and comprehensive programs and trade opportunities. These include Advanced Placement which allows students to complete college and university level courses while still in high school. Maple Ridge also offers great adult education courses and a comprehensive English Language Learners Program for students whose mother tongue is not English. For motivated learners, the district is proud to provide the International Baccalaureate curriculum to interested students (Grades 9-12). These are just some of the many great programs available in the Maple Ridge School District. Please visit the District’s website for all of the program choices available in the city.
The school district`s innovation, unique program choices, and high graduation rates are all great reasons as to why Maple Ridge is such an appealing place for families to settle down and call home.
Private Schools
Besides a great school district that offers many unique public school opportunities, Maple Ridge also is home to a range of prestigious private schools that offer curriculum from kindergarten through to grade 12. These private schools provide an alternative to the public sector and give all residents in Maple Ridge great choice and selection when it comes to education.
Post-Secondary
Maple Ridge has a fully accredited college – Ridge Meadows College. Ridge Meadows College works in conjunction with School District # 42 and offers a wide variety of certificate programs such as the Administrative Office Assistant Program or Early Childhood Education. In addition to these programs, the college also provides trades programs and general interest courses.
Maple Ridge also offers a satellite campus for the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). The campus is located in Garibaldi Secondary School. The main campus of BCIT is in Burnaby which is 35 km away from Maple Ridge.
Both of the Lower Mainland’s universities – Simon Fraser University (Burnaby) and the University of British Columbia (Vancouver) are connected to Maple Ridge through public transit and offer a wide range of both graduate and undergraduate programs.
Maple Ridge is a great place to settle down and call home. With an innovative school district that is focused on providing all of its learners with a diverse and complete education and a wide choice of both public and private educational choices, it is no wonder that more and more families are moving to the area.