Schools in Cochrane | Cochrane Local Guides

Cochrane has grown quickly, and its schools have grown with it. Families here have real choice: public, Catholic, and Francophone options, several French immersion programs, and a new high school already in the works to keep pace with the town's growth. Here's how it breaks down.

Public Schools: Rocky View Schools

Most Cochrane students attend Rocky View Schools (RVS), the public board serving the town and surrounding county. Fireside School (K to 8) and RancheView School (PK to 8) serve the town's newer communities south of the river, while Glenbow School (K to 4) rounds out the elementary options. Families looking for French immersion can start at École Elizabeth Barrett Elementary, and Cochrane Christian Academy offers a faith-based program within RVS from its home downtown on Powell Street. Mitford School and École Manachaban Middle School both cover grades 5 to 8, each running an English program alongside a French immersion track. From there, students move on to Cochrane High School or Bow Valley High School for grades 9 to 12. With the town continuing to grow, RVS now has design funding in place for a new Cochrane high school, welcome news for a district that's outgrowing its current buildings.

Catholic Education: Calgary Catholic School District

Cochrane also falls within the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD). Holy Spirit School covers Catholic elementary instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 6, and St. Timothy Junior/Senior High School picks up from Grade 7 through Grade 12.

Francophone Option

For Francophone families, École Notre-Dame des Vallées is a K to 12 Catholic Francophone school through Conseil scolaire FrancoSud, offering both a French program for Francophone students and a French immersion track for English-speaking families, with preschool and daycare on site as well.

Choosing a Neighbourhood Around Schools

Because Cochrane's communities each feed into different schools, where you buy can matter as much as which school you choose. Families often ask which neighbourhoods sit closest to which schools, what the walk or bus routes look like, and how registration and catchment boundaries work. That's exactly the kind of local detail I help buyers sort through before they fall in love with a house.