Photo: James Blake aka Webgeer at en.wikipedia · CC BY 2.0Teaching in French: 2 of Powell River’s 12 schools
Those are Cote-du-Soleil and Secondaire Brooks (SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophone). On the tests, 2 of 9 schools land above the middle in British Columbia, 3 under it. Its 3 km reach takes in 6 elementary schools, 1 secondary school, 2 schools for every grade and 3 alternative or adult schools, all of Powell River’s schooling.
Schooling in English and French around Powell River
Each school by its language of instruction, with the share in British Columbia marked.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in British Columbia.
The French-language schools are Cote-du-Soleil and Secondaire Brooks, 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.
How Powell River’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 C: 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) | 6 | 481 | 468 |
| Grade 4 numeracy (FSA score) | 6 | 477 | 472 |
| Grade 7 literacy (FSA score) | 8 | 455 | 467 |
| Grade 7 numeracy (FSA score) | 8 | 462 | 454 |
| First-time Grade 12 graduation | 2 | 57% | 91% |
The widest gap is on first-time graduation, where the area’s schools reach 57% against 91% in British Columbia. Across 5 measures: 0 above the middle, 1 below.
Every school’s results (9)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Partners in Education Program (PIE)Alternative or adult | G4 literacy 517 · G4 numeracy 541 · G7 literacy 468 · G7 numeracy 513 · Graduation 23% | Second fifth |
| Powell River Christian SchoolAll grades | G4 literacy 476 · G4 numeracy 498 · G7 literacy 484 · G7 numeracy 483 | Second fifth |
| Assumption SchoolElementary | G4 literacy 485 · G4 numeracy 477 · G7 literacy 507 · G7 numeracy 460 | Middle fifth |
| James Thomson ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 506 · G4 numeracy 478 · G7 literacy 459 · G7 numeracy 459 | Middle fifth |
| Brooks SecondaryElementary | Graduation 91% | Middle fifth |
| Henderson ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy masked · G4 numeracy masked · G7 literacy 451 · G7 numeracy 495 | Middle fifth |
| Edgehill ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 435 · G4 numeracy 456 · G7 literacy 429 · G7 numeracy 465 | Fourth fifth |
| Westview ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 450 · G4 numeracy 448 · G7 literacy 440 · G7 numeracy 432 | Fourth fifth |
| Cote-du-SoleilAll grades | G4 literacy masked · G4 numeracy masked · G7 literacy 377 · G7 numeracy 417 | 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 12 schools in and around Powell River are
Each pin is a school, coloured by the system that runs it, sized by its students where the province publishes them.
Points from the provincial lists.
Who runs Powell River’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 8, French-language 2 and independent 2.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
Which of the 2 boards runs which school
Each board’s schools in the area, largest first.
The biggest of the 2 is SD 47 qathet: 8 schools.
| Board | System | Schools |
|---|---|---|
| SD 47 qathetBrooks Secondary, Continuing ED SD 47, Edgehill, Henderson, James Thomson, Partners in Education Program (PIE), Westview, Westview Learning Centre | English public | 8 |
| SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophoneCote-du-Soleil, Secondaire Brooks | French public | 2 |
Boards and districts as the provincial lists name them.
How children get a place in Powell River
French-language schools
French-language boards admit the children of rights-holders under section 23 of the Charter (a parent whose first language is French, or who was schooled in French in Canada), and may admit others through an admissions committee.
Independent schools
Fees and admissions are each independent school’s own; the province covers a share of costs for those that meet its rules.
The neighbourhood school
The neighbourhood school is the one the board designates for the address; choice beyond it depends on space.
The provinces’ education acts and the boards’ own admission policies; check with the board for a given address.
The 12 schools in and around Powell River
High schools within reach of Powell River
Secondary and all-grade schools within 15 km, by distance.
Counting out to 15 km, there are 3: 2 French public and 1 independent. The shortest trip is to Cote-du-Soleil, 1 km.
| School | Board | System | Band | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cote-du-SoleilAll grades | SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophone | French public | Bottom fifth | 1 km |
| Secondaire BrooksSecondary | SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophone | French public | – | 2.6 km |
| Powell River Christian SchoolAll grades | – | Independent | Second fifth | 3.3 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Alternative, adult and other schools around Powell River
Beyond the ordinary schools: adult and continuing education at Continuing ED SD 47; online learning through Partners in Education Program (PIE); alternative programs at Westview Learning Centre. Their cards ↑
The kinds as the provincial lists give them (alternative, adult and continuing education, online, provincial schools).
Towns its size in British Columbia
Similar-sized towns and their schools within 3 km, by population.
| Town | Population | Schools | French | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riley Park | 23,682 | 101 | 3 | 0.7 km |
| … | ||||
| Lougheed | 15,442 | 41 | 0 | 0.8 km |
| Parksville | 15,371 | 6 | 0 | 1.4 km |
| Whistler | 15,090 | 5 | 1 | 4.5 km |
| Arbutus Ridge | 15,083 | 61 | 2 | 1.1 km |
| Powell River | 14,947 | 12 | 2 | 1 km |
| Guildford | 14,663 | 47 | 0 | 3.2 km |
| Kerrisdale | 14,105 | 47 | 3 | 0.4 km |
| Oakridge | 14,071 | 67 | 3 | 0.7 km |
| Strathcona | 13,783 | 66 | 1 | 0.8 km |
| … | ||||
| Rosewood Park | 9,004 | 31 | 0 | 2.6 km |
Set against 73 others, 51 have more schools in reach. In 23 of the 74, at least one school teaches in French.
Populations from Statistics Canada; schools from the provincial lists, in or within 3 km of each town.
Schools in the towns around Powell River
Each town’s schools in or within 3 km of its outline; distances as the crow flies.
| Town | Schools | French | Catholic or independent | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powell River | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 km |
| Electoral Area B, qathet 4.7 km | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 km |
| Electoral Area C, qathet 13 km | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 km |
| Electoral Area D, qathet 19 km | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 km |
Each of its 3 neighbours has fewer schools.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The kinds of school. Each school is elementary, secondary or all-grade by the grades it teaches; alternative, adult and online programs sit in a group of their own.
- Which schools count. Counted: Powell River’s own schools and any within 3 km of its edge.
- What isn’t here. Inspection reports with ratings don’t exist here, and the lists give enrolment for one year at most.
- Bands, not ranks. Top fifth means a result among the best fifth of BC’s schools on that measure; the card shows a school’s average fifth.
- Boards and systems. Boards here split by language only: English districts and a French-language board.
- The year. The provincial list for 2025/26.
Questions about schools in Powell River
Is there a French-language school in Powell River?
Yes, schooling in French is at Cote-du-Soleil and Secondaire Brooks.
How many schools are there in Powell River?
The town holds all 12; none is outside it.
Which boards run the schools in Powell River?
SD 47 qathet (8) and SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophone (2), with each one’s schools in brackets.
How do I get a place at a school in Powell River?
Ask the board which school serves your street, then register through it.
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).