Dear Parents/Guardians,

As the City of Calgary continues to grow, Calgary Board of Education (CBE) is committed to providing strong and stable learning environments that keep peers together, while working to alleviate enrolment pressures.

Northern Lights and Nose Creek Schools are over capacity due to continued enrolment growth. The designated schools will be unable to accommodate all students who live within the currently designated school boundary. For this reason, designation changes will be made for the 2026-27 school year.

Why am I receiving this notice?

According to CBE records, you are living in the community of Carrington, and your child(ren) or current school may be impacted by the designation changes outlined in this notice.

What are the Elementary School changes?

Beginning for the 2026-27 school year, all kindergarten to Grade 6 students living in the community of Carrington, will be re-designated from Northern Lights School (K-5) to Alex Munro School (K-6) (Map 1).

Current kindergarten to Grade 4 students at Northern Lights School, do not have the option to stay and will automatically be enrolled to Alex Munro School for the 2026-27.

Note, current Grade 5 students at Northern Lights School, may:

• choose to attend Alex Munro School for Grade 6, then continue at Sir John A. Macdonald School for Grades 7 to 9. This would mean they would attend three schools in three years; or
• choose to attend Nose Creek School for Grades 6 to 9. Note, transportation services will be available for those Grade 6 students from Carrington only until June 30, 2027.
• Current Grade 5 students must inform their school principal of their choice to attend Nose Creek School or Alex Munro School for Grade 6 by Friday, March 13, 2026.

Alex Munro School is in the community of Huntington Hills at 427 78 Ave NE

Nose Creek School is in the community of Coventry Hills at 135 Covepark Square N.E.

What are the Jr. High School changes?

Beginning for the 2026-27 school year, Grade 7 to 9 students living in the community of Carrington, will be re-designated from Nose Creek School to Sir John A. Macdonald School (Map 2). Please note:

• Grades 6 to 8 students currently attending Nose Creek School can choose to stay until they finish Grade 9, or transfer to Sir John A. Macdonald School.
• Current grades 6 and 7 choosing to stay at Nose Creek School will be considered out of the attendance area and may apply for transportation as conditional riders for the 2026-27 school year only.
• Current grade 8 students choosing to transfer to Sir John A. Macdonald School for Grade 9 will attend three different schools in three years. They will have continued access to transportation to Nose Creek School until June 30, 2027.

Sir John A. Macdonald School is in the community of Huntington Hills at 6600 4 St NW.

Are there additional changes?

Effective June 30, 2026, the overflow designations for kindergarten to Grade 6 Carrington students at Northern Lights and Nose Creek Schools to North Haven School will be rescinded. An overflow will be established for Carrington students at their newly designated school Alex Munro School, to North Haven School.

Carrington students currently at Northern Lights School will be able to attend Alex Munro School and not be overflowed. The overflow will apply only to new registrations that cannot be accommodated

The overflow designation for Grade 7 to 9 Carrington students at Nose Creek School to Sir John A. Macdonald School will be rescinded on June 30, 2026. Sir John A. MacDonald, as the new school designation, is expected to be able to accommodate all students and there is no overflow required at this time.

Why are students being re-designated instead of continuing the overflow designations at Northern Lights and Nose Creek Schools?

There has been continued enrolment growth from the communities in which these schools are located. As a result, these schools will not have space to accommodate Carrington students to continue as the designated schools in the future.

Can modular classrooms (“portables”) be added?

Due to site constraints, adding modular classrooms to Northern Lights and Nose Creek Schools is not feasible.

Why are existing students at or entering Nose Creek School given the option to stay, but not existing students at Northern Lights School?

The new designations of Alex Munro (k to Gr. 6) and Sir John A. Macdonald School (Gr. 7-9) for the Carrington community are a different grade configuration than the current designations of Northern Lights (kindergarten to Gr. 5) and Nose Creek (Gr. 6-9). Re-designating elementary students from Northern Lights School to Alex Munro School eliminates the need for a second transition (three schools in three years) and allows students to stay with their peers as they continue to Sir John A. Macdonald School in Grade 7.

How do I register for school next year?

Any student new to the CBE is required to register online by visiting our New Student Registration page. Registration for the 2026-27 school year starts January 2026.

Current kindergarten to Grade 4 students living in the Carrington community will automatically be transferred to Alex Munro School for the 2026-27 school year. No action is required.

Families of students entering Grade 6 for the 2026-27 school year must inform their current principal of their choice between Nose Creek School or Alex Munro School by Friday, March 13, 2026.

Families of Jr. High School students entering Grades 7 to 9 for the 2026-27 school year must inform their current principal of their choice between Nose Creek School or Sir John A. Macdonald School by Friday, March 13, 2026.

Note, failure to notify the principal of your choice will result in your child(ren) being automatically designated to the new school.

How will students get to school?

CBE students are eligible for transportation to their designated school if they live beyond the walk zone, but within the attendance area. Please visit the CBE Busing & Transportation page for more information. Service levels and fees will be confirmed by May 2026.

For 2026-27 Grade 6 to 9 students choosing to attend Nose Creek School:

• Students entering Grade 6 to 8 may apply for transportation as conditional riders, with all CBE transportation services ending June 30, 2027.
• Students entering Grade 9 who are designated to Sir John A. Macdonald School are eligible to continue transportation services until June 30, 2027.

Please note transportation for middle and junior high school students can include yellow school bus service or Calgary Transit.

What if I have more questions?

Please contact your principal if you have questions regarding these changes. If you still have questions or require additional information, please contact the Area 3 office at Area3@cbe.ab.ca or 403.777.6820 (extension 0).