Geographically and demographically, the St. Paul Education Regional Division No.1 covers a large rural/urban area in Northeast Alberta consistent with the combined area of the County of St. Paul and the County of Two Hills.

The Division serves approximately 3,988 students (K-12) in eighteen definable school sites staffed by some 270 FTE teaching staff and approximately 346 support staff which includes secretaries, instructional assistants, custodians, librarians, maintenance personnel, and technicians. There are six schools located in the Town of St. Paul, seven in the County of St. Paul and five schools in the County of Two Hills including two Hutterite Colony schools and one Mennonite school. The Division's makeup is very diverse and in addition to the "traditional" school facilities, the Division also has five K-12 schools, two hutterite colonies, a virtual education campus and two outreach schools.

When the province decided to reduce the number of school boards in 1995, the region was the first in the Alberta to proceed with voluntary regionalization hence the No. 1 designation. Through regionalization, five distinct school boards were amalgamated. The Division is the only one in Alberta, and likely all of Canada, to operate both separate and public schools under one board. The regionalization agreement stipulates and acknowledges respect and support for recognition of religious, linguistic, and cultural differences that need to be met within different school communities. The Division is committed to continuing to recognize the wide range of economic, cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity of its constituents through the delivery of educational services.

Although a majority of students attending schools are rural and require bussing services, there are a number of hamlets, villages, and towns within the Division: St. Paul (where the Division’s Central Office is located), Elk Point, Heinsburg, Myrnam, Derwent, Two Hills, Hairy Hill, Willingdon, Ashmont, and Mallaig.

Approximately 25% of the student population is educated through federal tuition agreements with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. These students are bussed in from Frog Lake, Saddle Lake, and Good Fish Lake First Nations communities. The Division is especially proud of its long standing and much lauded native education program.