Number of Independent Schools in British Columbia |

Year	AMG*	CIS**	ISA+	SCSBC***	FISA Total	Non-FISA Schools	Grand Total
1969-70	6	77	14	15	112
1970-71	6	75	14	15	110	66	176
1971-72	6	75	12	15	108	66	174
1972-73	6	75	12+	15	108	66	174
1973-74	6	70	12+	15	103	59	162
1974-75	6	69	12+	15	102	59	161
1975-76	6	68	12	15	101	55	156
1976-77	6	65	12	15	98	54	152
1977-78	6	65	10	20	101	55	156
1978-79	7	67	10	23	107	82	189
1979-80	6	66	10	24	106	99	205
1980-81	6	65	10	23	104	120	224
1981-82	7	62	10	22	101	121	222
1982-83	8	65	10	24	107	126	233
1983-84	6	66	10	25	107	137	244
1984-85	9	65	10	26	110	142	252
1985-86	12	69	10	27	118	166	284
1986-87	16	72	10	32	130	171	301
1987-88	28	74	10	31	143	162	305
1988-89	38	73	14	34	159	157	316
1989-90	44	72	14	39	169	122	291
1990-91	47	72	14	42	175	119	294
1991-92	49	71	15	42	177	111	288
1992-93	55	74	15	40	184	121	305
1993-94	70	74	15	39	198	115	313
1994-95	74	76	15	36	201	129	330
1995-96	86	75	15	41	217	118	335
1996-97	91	77	15	41	224	127	351
1997-98	95	78	17	44	234	125	359
1998-99	100	78	18	43	239	118	357
1999-00	113	77	18	42	250	101	351
2000-01	113	77	20	41	251	95	346
2001-02	122	76	20	37	255	83	338
2002-03	125	76	20	38	259	78	337

Year	ACSIBC	AMS (AMG)	CIS	ISABC	SCSBC	FISA Total	Non-FISA Total	Grand Total
2003-04	29	101	76	21	38	265	74	339
2004-05	31	103	76	20	40	270	74	344
2005-06	31	99	77	20	40	267	75	342
2006-07	33	99	77	20	42	271	80	351
2007-08	34	108	77	21	42	282	69	351
2008-09	33	110	76	23	40	282	86	368
2009-10	30	112	77	23	40	282	65	347
2010-11	28	113	77	24	40	282	78	360
2011-12	28	120	78	26	41	293	72	365
2012-13	28	121	79	26	39	292	75	367
2013-14	27	120	78	26	38	289	73	362
2014-15	27	121	77	26	37	288	75	363
2015-16	28	119	77	26	41	291	79	370
2016-17	28	126	77	27	40	298	72	370
2017-18	25	135	77	27	43	307	70	377
2018-19	22	148	78	30	39	317	50	367
2019-20	21	148	78	30	39	316	47	363
2020-21	21	149	78	30	39	313	48	365
2021-22	21	150	78	30	39	318	52	370
2022-23	21	154	78	29	38	320	45	365
2023-24	21	148	78	27	38	312	47	359
2024-25	20	144	78	27	39	308	40	348

+ From 1972-74 ISA held observer status in the FISA, re-entering full membership in 1975
* In 2000-2001 the AMG Group included approximately 20 Seventh-day Adventist Schools (SDA). In 2003-04 the ACSIBC was formed from schools previously in the AMG.
** In Dec. 1997 Catholic Public Schools (CPS) changed their name to Catholic Independent Schools (CIS)
*** In 1977 National Union of Christian Schools, District 12 (NUCS) changed its name to Society of Christian Schools in British Columbia (SCSBC).

Source: The numbers are from data compiled by the FISA from data submitted annually by independent schools.

Accurate counts of independent schools in existence in any given year are difficult to obtain. Before 1989-90 independent schools were not required to register with the Ministry of Education. Furthermore, tallies vary according to who is doing the counting. Some groups count divisions of a school on different campuses as one school while others count the school divisions on each campus as a school. If a school operates from kindergarten to grade twelve on the same campus, some groups count the school as one, while others count the elementary and secondary divisions as separate schools. For these reasons totals established by the FISA will vary somewhat from totals established by the BC Ministry of Education. From 2008-09 onward the grand total figure includes Distributed Learning schools.

Any inference about growth patterns based on number of schools must be done with caution. A number of schools existed for many years before joining the FISA. Some schools existing as distinct schools have amalgamated. Others have added grades. Some have closed. In addition, schools with the FISA have shifted from one membership group to another, and schools in the non-FISA group have become members of the FISA. The most accurate indicator of growth patterns in independent schools is enrollment, rather than number of schools.

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