Pembina Hills School Division

What Pembina Hills School Division does

Pembina Hills School Division is a publicly funded K-12 school division operating under the Education Act (Alberta) and governed by an elected Board of Trustees, headquartered at 5310 - 49th Street, Barrhead, Alberta. The division delivers core public education and ancillary programs to students and families across approximately twelve school communities in northwestern Alberta, including Barrhead, Westlock, Swan Hills, Busby, Clyde, Dunstable, Fort Assiniboine, Neerlandia, Pembina North, and Dapp, with attendance areas adjusted by the Board as recently as 2016. Its instructional portfolio spans K-12 core education, French Immersion, Christian Education, Distance Learning (via the wholly owned Vista Virtual School), Early Learning Services for children ages 2.8-4.8, Outreach programs, and Off-Campus Opportunities (career education and dual credit).

The division's digital infrastructure is built on third-party educational platforms rather than proprietary technology. Core systems include PowerSchool for student information and parent portal access, Google Workspace and Google Classroom for staff and learning management, SchoolMessenger (with SafeArrival) for parent communication and attendance, LearnAlberta for curriculum content, myBlueprint for career planning in grades 7 and up, OverDrive/Sora for the digital library, Insignia for library management, and various assessment and media tools (Alberta Assessment Consortium, EVERFI, Learn360, Exam Bank, Criterion-on-demand). Its own differentiator is the PHSD Instructional Media Centre, a local repository of teaching resources. Transportation is operated in-house with a fleet of GPS- and camera-equipped buses across more than ten routes.

Funding is overwhelmingly derived from Alberta Education operating and capital grants, with negligible ancillary revenue from Early Learning fees ($15/day for non-PUF Play Partners), transfer bus service fees ($450/year), and minor student activity/insurance fees. There are no disclosed revenue figures, no funding rounds (the entity is government-funded), and no M&A activity. Governance rests with an elected Board of Trustees chaired by Victoria Kane, with Superintendent of Schools Brett Cooper retiring August 31, 2026 and Deputy Superintendent Raime Drake appointed as successor effective September 1, 2026. The division is currently undertaking a multi-year modernization of Barrhead Composite High School with completion milestones scheduled through the 2026-2027 school year.

Name

Pembina Hills School Division

Legal name

Board of Trustees of Pembina Hills School Division

Website

https://www.pembinahills.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Pembina Hills School Division is a publicly funded Alberta K-12 school division serving students across roughly twelve rural communities in northwestern Alberta, operating traditional schools, Early Learning Services, distance learning (Vista Virtual School), and a division-run bus system under an elected Board of Trustees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Credit Recovery & Alternative Pathways (Virtual) (EDAJADAF), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Early childhood learning
• Distance learning programs
• Student transportation services
• Rural school division

Headquarters

HQ city

Barrhead

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: Primary funding from Alberta Education for K-12 educational services delivered to students across the division's attendance areas
2. Early Learning Program Fees: Fees charged for Play Partners (non-PUF eligible children) attending Early Learning programs at $15 per day, two days per week
3. Transfer Bus Service Fees: Transportation fees for students attending out-of-attendance-area schools: $450/year for transfer bus service
4. Student Activity/Fees: Fees for student programs, accident insurance, and various school-based activities as disclosed in student fees section

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pembina Hills School Division is a publicly funded Alberta K-12 school division that delivers public education to students across rural northwestern Alberta communities, including Barrhead, Westlock, Swan Hills, and surrounding areas. It operates community schools, an Early Learning preschool program, Vista Virtual School for distance education, and specialized programs (French Immersion, Christian Education, Outreach, Off-Campus Opportunities), supported by PowerSchool student information systems, SchoolMessenger parent communication, and division-operated bus transportation.

Product overview

Pembina Hills School Division operates as a unified K-12 public education system serving communities across Alberta. The division offers a portfolio of educational programs including core in-school education, Early Learning Services (preschool programs at multiple locations), Vista Virtual School (distance learning), specialized programs (French Immersion, Christian Education), and off-campus/career education opportunities. Supporting infrastructure includes PowerSchool for student information management, SchoolMessenger for family communication, transportation services with GPS-equipped buses, and access to digital learning resources including OverDrive/Sora digital library and Google Classroom. The Early Learning Services operates as a play-based inclusive preschool program across nine school locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vista Virtual School: Distance education school offering K-12 courses to students across Alberta.

Products and services

• K-12 Public Education Services
• Early Learning Services
• Vista Virtual School
• French Immersion Program
• Christian Education Program
• Off-Campus Opportunities
• School Bus Transportation

Quantifiable outcome

• Student citizenship and character development through formal recognition programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alberta EducationcoreOthersGovernment funding body providing primary operational funding and curriculum guidance for the school division's K-12 educational programs
• Family Resource Centers (Parent Link)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnerships with Family Resource Centers in Barrhead and Westlock areas supporting Early Learning programs and family engagement
• Family Support for Children With Disabilities (FSCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Alberta government program supporting Early Learning services for children with disabilities through coordinated service delivery
• Alberta Health ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth services partnership providing information about community health resources for families in Barrhead and Westlock areas
• Family and Community Support Services (FCSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with FCSS agencies in Barrhead and Westlock providing community support services and resources for Early Learning families
• Community Partners (ASQ Screening)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with community organizations (Family Connections in Barrhead, Family Networks in Westlock, FCSS in Swan Hills) for developmental screening services

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Black Gold School Division: Alberta public school division serving communities south of Edmonton including Leduc and surrounding rural areas. Comparable public K-12 delivery model with Early Learning, transportation, and inclusive education programming.
• St. Albert Public Schools: Greater Edmonton-area public school division of comparable size and programming scope. Operates K-12 instruction, Early Learning services, and inclusive education programs under the same Alberta Education funding framework.
• Wolf Creek Public Schools: Central Alberta public school division serving rural communities and small towns. Similar mid-sized rural division profile with comparable programming breadth and transportation-dependent geography.
• Parkland School Division: Neighbouring Alberta public school division serving suburban and rural communities west and south of Edmonton. Closest geographic and operational comparable to Pembina Hills—similar multi-site rural delivery model, comparable student population, and overlapping programming including Early Learning and transportation networks.
• Red Deer Public Schools: Central Alberta public school division offering similar K-12 programming including Early Learning, French Immersion, and inclusive education. Comparable administrative structure and use of provincial digital platforms.
• Northern Lights School Division: Large rural Alberta public school division serving communities across northern Alberta. Directly comparable in scope—operates multiple dispersed school sites, runs a bus transportation network, and delivers Early Learning and distance education programs across a vast geographic footprint.
• Grande Prairie Public School District: Northwestern Alberta public school district. Operates multi-site public K-12 education with comparable Early Learning services and inclusive education supports, geographically overlapping the Pembina Hills region.
• Chinook's Edge School Division: Central Alberta public school division with multi-site rural delivery model. Comparable on governance structure, board oversight, Early Learning services, and use of provincial curriculum platforms (PowerSchool, LearnAlberta).

Broad incumbents

• Calgary Board of Education: Second-largest Alberta public school division. Functions as a broad incumbent within the same provincial funding and curriculum framework, operating at much larger scale across urban Calgary with comparable K-12, Early Learning, and specialized programming.
• Edmonton Public Schools: Alberta's largest public school division. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same provincial K-12 public education system with significantly greater scale, broader programming, and a more urban delivery model than Pembina Hills.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PembinaHillsSchoolDivision
• Instagraminstagram.com/PembinaHills

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pembina Hills School Division