Long-Range Outlook
Nova Scotia's Regional Centres for Education (RCEs) are required by the Education Act to provide information to the public about their schools and the delivery of their education programs and services. One such requirement is a document called a Long-Range Outlook (LRO or Outlook).
A Long-Range Outlook is intended to cover a 10-year period and provide a broad picture of the RCE, including basic information a such as its structure, demography, and geography, as well as information about its strategic goals, policies, and programming decisions which may influence how education is delivered in its jurisdiction. The LRO will also provide an overview of all schools within the jurisdiction of the RCE, outlining their relationship to each other (i.e., feeder systems) and providing basic information about each school.
Regional Overview
The HRCE oversees public schools within the Halifax Regional Municipality. The municipality includes urban, suburban and rural communities. The total area is approximately 5,850 km² and is approximately 165 km in length between its eastern and western - most extremities. HRM's shoreline extends approximately 150 km, while its northern boundary is usually between 50 and 60 kilometres inland.
Most of HRCE’s schools (12 of 16 families of schools) are located within the communities of Halifax, Dartmouth, Eastern Passage, Bedford and Sackville. Two families of schools serve the Eastern Shore communities east of Dartmouth/Cole Harbour. Two families of schools serve the urban and rural
communities between Fall River and Upper Musquodoboit and one family of schools serves the communities west of Halifax.
The HRCE shares boundaries with four other regional centres/boards: Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education to the north, South Shore Regional Centre for Education to the southwest, Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education to the west, Strait Regional Centre for Education to the east. Eight Conseil scholaire acadien provincial (CSAP) schools are located within the geographic area of HRCE
HRCE Boundaries can be viewed here.
Our school demographics including historical and projected enrolments for schools can be viewed on our main dashboard.
Educational Goals, Priorities and Programming
The HRCE’s work is anchored in the provincial Inclusive Education Policy and our Regional Student Success Plan (RSSP). The RRSP focuses on system, school, and classroom practices to meet the needs of all learners in the areas of mathematics, literacy, and well-being. The RSSP is the central focus of our collective work. In addition, the HRCE has identified the following Priority Actions for the 2024-25 school year:
- Focus on Student Success and Well-being
- Focus on Equity and Inclusion
- Focus on Families and Our Community
- Focus on Our Team
To learning more, click here.
All schools in the HRCE follow the provincial Public School Program (PSP) which outlines the curriculum to be delivered in our schools.
Spaces are dedicated as classrooms in each school to support teaching and learning. At some grade levels, the PSP requires specialized spaces. Examples include family studies labs, technology education labs, music rooms, gyms, learning centre/resource rooms, guidance offices and libraries/learning commons. Some schools have a dedicated visual arts space and spaces are assigned to youth health centres in our high schools.
The number of students enrolled in a school impacts program delivery in several ways.
In elementary schools, classes are organized based on the actual enrollment of students at each grade-level. This configuration of classes may include combined classes.
At junior high, the number of students could impact the selection of electives offered to students.
At high school, student courses selections have a significant impact on the actual courses that occur each semester in each high school.
School configurations must comply with class cap guidelines as determined by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
The priority actions for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development are outlined in its annual business plan.
Regional Operations and Assets
Information on the HRCE’s 2024-25 General Fund Budget can be found at:
Budget Document for Website 24-25.xlsx
Capital Assets and Transportation
Information on HRCE’s Capital Assets and Transportation can be found in Section 3.0 of the Accountability Report for the 2023-24 school year:
HRCE Accountability Report 23-24_0.pdf
Planned Capital Projects/Major Maintenance
Information on current and planned projects can be found at:
Specific information about our schools including programs offered, grade configurations and facility information can be viewed on our main dashboard.