Steinbach Christian School embraces growth

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This article was published 05/11/2025 (214 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New classroom spaces are among the changes made by Steinbach Christian School in response to massive enrolment growth.

In a news release, SBC pointed to 60 percent growth over the past three years.

To meet the need, the school has added a new bus route from Niverville with a second pickup point in Blumenort.

“Access to Christian education is important,” Principal Thor Barkman said. “This bus route has helped many families with scheduling and made access easier.”

Major renovations and expansions have already taken place.

Last spring, SCS added four new classrooms, an art room and a media lab.

More space will also be opening up.

Construction on Steinbach Bible College continues and the space they shared with SCS is expected to become available in fall 2026.

Barkman said demand for Christian education is growing for many schools including Springs Church and MBCI in Winnipeg.

“It’s not across the board but certainly there is an increased interest in parents’ choice in education,” he said.

Current enrollment at their K-12 school is 480.

Though it’s difficult to point to a single factor as to why growth is occurring, Barkman said their unity of purpose, encouraging kids to grow in their faith is important.

“That leads to so many good things for the individual, for the family, for the community,” he said. “There’s a moral framework there that we’re emphasizing, honesty and personal responsibility, and that’s what’s aligning with what parents want to see.”

The K-12 structure is also unique and offers parents the ability to have all their children in the same school.

Creating a space where students feel welcome to be involved is also important.

“As a smaller school, the number of kids that we have involved as a percentage of the whole is almost everybody,” he said. “It’s an over 90 percent involvement rate in co-curricular activities.”

While dealing with increased enrolment, Barkman said they remain deeply rooted in their mission.

“We are listening to the community’s interest in Christian education and are committed to trusting God’s guidance as we grow in faith,” he said. “Our board of directors is committed to praying diligently for our school and are excited about creating new opportunities.