By Jon Perez, Catholic Saskatoon News
Bethlehem Catholic High School in Saskatoon is preparing to begin the 2026-2027 school year under extraordinary circumstances after a late-night fire on Aug. 7 destroyed new relocatable classrooms and damaged other portions of the school.
Saskatoon Police Service have now determined the fire as suspicious, and an arson investigation is underway.
Emergency responders, investigators, Bethlehem school administration, and the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) staff have been working together to prepare the school for September and provide assistance and guidance to those who need it.
Bethlehem principal Shelda Hanlan Stroh said the recent fire at the school has been a challenging and tragic event. Still, as a community that draws strength from a shared faith in God, she said the school will be more resilient in the face of this unexpected challenge.
“As a Catholic school community, we continue to place our trust in God’s guidance and in the strength of our Bethlehem family,” said Hanlan Stroh, who also thanked the school community for their patience, prayers and support in the aftermath of the fire.
The main building will be ready for the fall, allowing classes to begin as scheduled on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
However, the loss and damage to planned new relocatable (portable) classrooms mean that Bethlehem will be without 26 classrooms when students return, which Hanlan Stroh said has caused concern, stress and uncertainty for families. But the school remains committed to keeping students together and providing in-person learning, she stressed.
The school has also reported smoke and water damage to remaining relocatable classrooms, along with some water damage inside the main school building. Work in the main building has been underway around the clock since it was deemed safe to begin.
The classroom shortage will force the school to make a temporary change to its daily schedule. After consultation with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders, Bethlehem will use a split-day schedule to reduce the number of classrooms needed at any one time.
Under the plan, students in Grades 9 and 10 will attend five instructional periods during the morning, while Grades 11 and 12 will attend five periods in the afternoon. Classes will also be shorter, with students getting a combination of classroom instruction, independent learning and tutorials.
Hanlan Stroh said this was designed to preserve as much normalcy as possible during an extremely difficult start to this school year. The split-day schedule will not affect students in functionally integrated programs, while students in Alternative Education will continue to receive full-day instruction and support.
“This schedule reduces the number of classrooms required at one time while preserving daily face-to-face instruction, maintaining access to our full complement of courses, and keeping students connected to the Bethlehem community,” she said.
Hanlan Stroh added that the schedule is intended to be temporary. As additional classrooms and learning spaces become available, school and division officials will review the arrangement and return to a regular school day as soon as conditions allow.
GSCS communications consultant Derrick Kunz said the school division expects about 1,500 students to attend Bethlehem this school year, with support available for teachers and staff, who will return to work on Tuesday, Aug. 25, to prepare the school.
“Members of our Tragic Events Response Team will be available in addition to school staff. This tragic community event stirs a lot of emotion for people in different ways at different times. We will definitely be attentive to those needs when staff return and when students return on Sept 2,” added Kunz.
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Jon Perez is a parishioner at the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Saskatoon and a member of the St. Cecilia Choir. Catholic Saskatoon News is supported by gifts to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal: dscf.ca.