If you're moving to Cochrane with kids, schools are probably near the top of your list. Cochrane is served by three school boards: Rocky View Schools (public), the Calgary Catholic School District, and Conseil scolaire FrancoSud (francophone). Between them, families can choose public, Catholic, French immersion, francophone, and Christian programs, all within town.
Here's how the school system works here, which schools are in town, what's being built, and the one thing I always tell families to check before they write an offer.
How schools work in Cochrane
Cochrane has three school boards, and which one your kids attend is mostly up to you:
Rocky View Schools (RVS) runs the public schools, including French immersion and a Christian program.
Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) runs the Catholic schools in town.
Conseil scolaire FrancoSud runs the francophone school, for families with French language education rights.
Within each board, your home address decides your designated school. That's the part that matters when you're choosing a neighbourhood, and I'll come back to it below.
Public schools (Rocky View Schools)
Kindergarten to Grade 8
Fireside School (Kindergarten to Grade 8)
RancheView School (Kindergarten to Grade 8)
Cochrane Christian Academy (Kindergarten to Grade 8), the Rocky View Christian program, on Powell Street
Kindergarten to Grade 4
Glenbow Elementary School (Kindergarten to Grade 4), which offers French immersion
Elizabeth Barrett Elementary School (Kindergarten to Grade 4)
Grades 5 to 8
Mitford School (Grades 5 to 8), where French immersion continues after Grade 4
Manachaban Middle School (Grades 5 to 8)
High school
Bow Valley High School
Cochrane High School, which also offers French immersion
Catholic schools (Calgary Catholic School District)
Holy Spirit School (Kindergarten to Grade 8), on Fireside Drive
St. Timothy Junior/Senior High School (Grades 9 to 12)
Francophone school (Conseil scolaire FrancoSud)
École Notre-Dame des Vallées, on Quigley Drive, is Cochrane's francophone school. It runs from kindergarten to Grade 12.
French immersion and francophone are different programs. French immersion (through Rocky View Schools) is for families who want their kids to learn in French. Francophone education (through FrancoSud) is for families with French language education rights, usually because a parent's first language is French. If you're not sure which fits, the boards can walk you through it.
New schools coming to Cochrane
Cochrane has grown quickly, and the school boards are working to keep up:
Bow Valley High School's major expansion and modernization adds room for more students.
Rivercrest School, a new Kindergarten to Grade 8 school, is being built in River Heights.
A new Rocky View high school is planned next to the future Horse Creek Sports Park, just north of Heritage Hills.
A new school in Heartland has been requested by Rocky View Schools.
A francophone junior and senior high school has been proposed by FrancoSud.
There are also future school sites set aside in newer communities like Sunset Ridge, West Hawk, and Southbow Landing. Plans and timelines change, so check with the school boards for the latest. I'd never buy a home counting on a school that hasn't been funded yet.
What to check before you buy: your designated school
This is the part I always talk through with families moving to Cochrane.
Your designated school depends on your address, and in a fast growing town it isn't always the closest school. Some newer neighbourhoods don't have a school yet, so kids may be bused to a school in another part of town. When a new school opens, boundaries can change.
Before you write an offer on a home:
Look up the designated schools for that exact address with each board you're considering.
Ask about busing, including where the stop is and how long the ride is.
Ask whether the school is near capacity, and whether there's a waitlist for programs like French immersion.
Check how far it is to walk. In some neighbourhoods, walking to school is easy. In others, the hills and busy roads make it a drive.
I'm happy to help you look this up for any home you're considering.
Choosing a neighbourhood with schools in mind
If walkable schools are high on your list, Cochrane's more established neighbourhoods tend to have them closest, and newer communities are where the new schools are being planned. If you're comparing areas, these guides might help:
Childcare and preschool
Cochrane has a good mix of daycares, day homes, and preschools, and spots can fill up early, especially for infants. If you're moving here, start looking as soon as you know your timing.
Moving to Cochrane with kids?
I moved to Cochrane in 2019 knowing almost no one, so I know how much the school question matters when you're choosing a town from far away. If you're planning a move, download my free Moving to Cochrane Guide. When you're ready to start looking, fill out my client questionnaire so I can get to know your family and what you're looking for, or book a call with me and we can talk through neighbourhoods and schools together.
Sources: Town of Cochrane school list, Rocky View Schools Christian programs, Rocky View Schools on French immersion at Mitford, Holy Spirit School, St. Timothy School, Rocky View Schools on the new Cochrane high school.
Market figures are CREB® benchmark prices for Cochrane for the month noted, shared for general information only. They are not an appraisal or valuation of any specific property. Prices, schools, and community plans change, so please confirm current details before making decisions. Lauren Crouse, REAL Broker.
