Despite high demand and growing wait-lists for French immersion programs, the Vancouver School Board is cutting French immersion spaces for kindergarten students by nearly one third in the coming school year.

The decision comes as a result of the surprise Supreme Court of Canada ruling last fall that requires smaller class sizes in B.C. schools.

The school district said it's committed to French immersion, but the ruling means it doesn't have the classroom space or qualified teachers to start as many kindergarteners in French Immersion as it did this year.

"It wasn't an easy decision," said Adrian Keough, a director of instruction at the school board.

"We don't really have a lot of choice."

Across the district, there will be 150 fewer spaces for kindergarteners, compared to last year's total of 510 spaces.Six schools will lose one class each:

Trafalgar Elementary.

Lord Selkirk Elementary.

Hastings Elementary.

Lord Tennyson Elementary.

L'École Bilingue Elementary.

É cole Jules Quesnel.

While the change just affects kindergarten — children at higher grades will be able to stay in the French immersion stream — it means even tougher competition for Vancouver parents vying to get their kids into the high-demand program.