Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domainElectoral Area F, Central Kootenay’s schools mostly beat the middle in British Columbia, 7 of the 12 with results
They include St Joseph School, Chek-Abc and Nelson Waldorf School. Schooling in French is on offer at 2 of 16; in British Columbia, 2% of schools teach in it. Its 3 km reach takes in 6 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools, 5 schools for every grade and 3 alternative or adult schools, all of Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay’s schooling.
What stands out about Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay’s schools
The strongest results
Top of the area: St Joseph School (all grades), its results in the top fifth in British Columbia. Results ↓
Each finding compares the town’s schools with every school in its province.
How Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay’s schools do on BC’s assessments
The Foundation Skills Assessment in Grades 4 and 7 and first-time graduation: each school against every school in BC.
Its School Grade is A+: it compares these results with the other towns of the province.
The area’s schools by fifth of the province
Each school’s band is the average of its measures’ fifths. The mark shows an even fifth of the area’s schools.
| Measure | Schools | Middle here | British Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 4 literacy (FSA score) | 8 | 494 | 468 |
| Grade 4 numeracy (FSA score) | 8 | 509 | 472 |
| Grade 7 literacy (FSA score) | 6 | 490 | 467 |
| Grade 7 numeracy (FSA score) | 6 | 480 | 454 |
| First-time Grade 12 graduation | 3 | 95% | 91% |
Furthest from the provincial middle is Grade 4 numeracy: 509 here, against 472 in British Columbia. The area is ahead on 5 of 5 measures and behind on 0.
Every school’s results (12)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| St Joseph SchoolAll grades | G4 literacy 535 · G4 numeracy 552 · G7 literacy 535 · G7 numeracy 557 | Top fifth |
| Chek-AbcAlternative or adult | G4 literacy 575 · G4 numeracy 603 · G7 literacy 499 · G7 numeracy 520 · Graduation masked | Top fifth |
| Nelson Waldorf SchoolAll grades | G4 literacy 523 · G4 numeracy 537 · G7 literacy 563 · G7 numeracy 508 | Top fifth |
| Blewett Elementary SchoolElementary | G4 literacy 507 · G4 numeracy 501 | Second fifth |
| Hume Elementary SchoolElementary | G4 literacy 480 · G4 numeracy 517 | Second fifth |
| L V Rogers SecondarySecondary | Graduation 95% | Second fifth |
| Mount Sentinel SecondaryElementary | G7 literacy 467 · G7 numeracy 452 · Graduation 98% | Second fifth |
| Rosemont Elementary SchoolElementary | G4 literacy 473 · G4 numeracy 488 | Middle fifth |
| South Nelson ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 461 · G4 numeracy 490 | Middle fifth |
| Secondaire de NelsonSecondary | Graduation 92% | Middle fifth |
| Trafalgar Middle SchoolElementary | G7 literacy 482 · G7 numeracy 431 | Middle fifth |
| WildflowerAll grades | G4 literacy 423 · G4 numeracy 458 · G7 literacy 319 · G7 numeracy 310 | Bottom fifth |
BC Ministry of Education and Child Care: FSA 2021/22 to 2025/26 (the latest year with a value) and first-time Grade 12 graduation; masked where groups are small; resident students only. Open Government Licence – British Columbia.
Where the 16 schools in and around Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay are
A pin for every school, its colour the system it belongs to.
Points from the provincial lists.
Schooling in English and French around Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay
The language each school teaches in, against every school in British Columbia.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in British Columbia.
The French-language schools are des Sentiers-alpins and Secondaire de Nelson, run by SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophone.
Section 23 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives French-speaking parents the right to French-language schooling for their children, through the French-language boards.
Who runs Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay’s schools
Each level’s schools by system: English and French public boards, independent and other schools.
By the system they belong to: English public 10, French-language 2 and independent 4.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
Which of the 2 boards runs which school
Every board or service centre with a school in the area, and its schools.
The biggest of the 2 is SD 8 Kootenay Lake: 10 schools.
| Board | System | Schools |
|---|---|---|
| SD 8 Kootenay LakeBlewett, Elev8 D.E.S.K., Hume, L V Rogers Secondary, Mount Sentinel Secondary, Reach, Rosemont, South Nelson … | English public | 10 |
| SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophoneSecondaire de Nelson, des Sentiers-alpins | French public | 2 |
Boards and districts as the provincial lists name them.
How children get a place in Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay
Independent schools
Admission to an independent school is by its own rules; fees apply, lowered by partial provincial funding.
French-language schools
Section 23 rights-holders, francophone parents or those schooled in French in Canada, have a place; others apply to the board’s committee.
The neighbourhood school
Families enrol through the board, which assigns the school serving their street; transfers depend on space.
The provinces’ education acts and the boards’ own admission policies; check with the board for a given address.
The 16 schools in and around Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay
High schools within reach of Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay
The high schools a family here could reach, within 15 km.
Counting out to 15 km, there are 7: 3 independent, 2 English public and 2 French public. Nearest: Nelson Christian Community School, 3.5 km off.
| School | Board | System | Band | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson Christian Community SchoolAll grades | – | Independent | – | 3.5 km |
| L V Rogers SecondarySecondary | SD 8 Kootenay Lake | English public | Second fifth | 4 km |
| Secondaire de NelsonSecondary | SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophone | French public | Middle fifth | 4 km |
| St Joseph SchoolAll grades | – | Independent | Top fifth | 5.2 km |
| WildflowerAll grades | SD 8 Kootenay Lake | English public | Bottom fifth | 5.3 km |
| des Sentiers-alpinsAll grades | SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophone | French public | – | 5.9 km |
| Nelson Waldorf SchoolAll grades | – | Independent | Top fifth | 7 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Alternative, adult and other schools around Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay
Also within reach: online learning through Elev8 D.E.S.K. and Chek-Abc; alternative programs at Reach. Their cards ↑
The kinds as the provincial lists give them (alternative, adult and continuing education, online, provincial schools).
Towns its size in British Columbia
Towns of a similar population, with their schools in or within 3 km; described, not ranked.
| Town | Population | Schools | French | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Gulf Islands | 6,691 | 8 | 0 | 4.5 km |
| … | ||||
| Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast | 4,279 | 6 | 0 | 2 km |
| Lantzville | 4,276 | 7 | 0 | 7.6 km |
| Electoral Area E, Cariboo | 4,242 | 12 | 0 | 5.4 km |
| Anderson Walk | 4,210 | 43 | 0 | 4.6 km |
| Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay | 4,209 | 16 | 2 | 3.5 km |
| Port Hardy | 4,201 | 6 | 0 | 1.4 km |
| Electoral Area B, Cariboo | 4,169 | 11 | 0 | 9.9 km |
| Electoral Area E, Kitimat-Stikine | 4,153 | 11 | 1 | 3.7 km |
| Fort Nelson | 4,144 | 6 | 0 | 0.2 km |
| … | ||||
| Clearwater | 2,500 | 3 | 0 | 85 km |
Among 106 towns its size, 16 have more schools nearby. Teaching in French: 22 of the 107 have it.
Populations from Statistics Canada; schools from the provincial lists, in or within 3 km of each town.
Schools in the towns around Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay
Schools in or within 3 km of each neighbouring town; distances in a straight line.
| Town | Schools | French | Catholic or independent | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay | 16 | 2 | 4 | 3.5 km |
| Nelson 4.8 km | 17 | 1 | 4 | 0.5 km |
| Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay 7.5 km | 18 | 2 | 4 | 3.1 km |
Of the neighbours, Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay counts the most schools: 18.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The kinds of school. An all-grade school teaches from kindergarten through high school; elementary and secondary schools split those years.
- Which schools count. A 3 km band around Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay’s outline is included, as it is for every town on the site.
- Boards and systems. Public schools come under a board of one language; independent schools are run privately.
- The year. The open list of 2025/26.
- Bands, not ranks. BC publishes average FSA scores and graduation rates, masking small groups, so the page gives fifths, not ranks.
- What isn’t here. What no open list gives: inspection grades, several years of enrolment, and Ontario’s private schools.
Questions about schools in Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay
Which boards run the schools in Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay?
SD 8 Kootenay Lake (10) and SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophone (2), with each one’s schools in brackets.
How do I get a place at a school in Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay?
Each board registers its own students; its website gives the school for an address.
How many schools are there in Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay?
Inside the town there are 1; another 15 sit within 3 km.
Is there a French-language school in Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay?
Yes: des Sentiers-alpins and Secondaire de Nelson, the French-language schools here.
Sources: BC Ministry of Education and Child Care, K-12 school list 2025/26 (Open Government Licence – British Columbia) · map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).