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The number of students in Vancouver and Richmond’s public elementary schools has declined over the past five years, even as the region saw an overall increase in elementary school enrolments, according to a new study.

Andy Yan, director of Simon Fraser University’s City Program, analyzed and mapped full-time enrolment figures for public elementary schools in Metro Vancouver over a period of five years from 2011-12 to 2016-17.

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What emerged was a story of two regions.

“In one region, you see people feeling comfortable, moving with young families or growing their families and sending them to public elementary schools,” said Yan.

In the other, “you’re seeing the implications of the housing affordability crisis. These are the consequences of high housing costs for families and really what they can afford and where they can live.”

Vancouver and Richmond were the only two school districts to see a drop in elementary school students in a region that saw a 4.4 per cent increase overall. Both districts have grappled with declining enrolment and the threat of elementary-school closures.