Alberta will do a better job of estimating the number of students enrolled in public schools next year while still falling well short of adequately funding them.
That is the main takeaway of the ATA’s analysis of “Meeting the Challenge,” the provincial government’s 2025–26 budget.
As outlined during the government’s budget announcement on Feb. 27, starting in the 2025–26 school year, Alberta Education will adopt a new funding allocation method based on average enrolment over two years rather than the current three years. This is intended to ensure that per-student funding levels more closely align with the actual number of students that school jurisdictions are seeing in their classrooms.
However, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the base education grant will remain unchanged, which means that the amount of money that school districts receive per student will not increase.
To ATA president Jason Schilling, this is the most telling detail in the entire education budget, which, despite boasting an overall spending increase of 4.5 per cent, falls nearly a billion dollars short of where it needs to be.
“The chronic underfunding of public education has created a crisis that can no longer be ignored,” Schilling said. “The stories I am hearing consistently describe a public education system that is having to deal with large and growing class sizes, inadequate student supports, and demoralized staff trying to hold it all together in the face of constantly increasing demands.”
Below the national average
Prior to budget day, the ATA had been calling for an education budget of $11.35 billion, which would have brought the province up to the Canadian average in per-student spending. However, the budget is set at $10.44 billion, some $910 million short of the ATA’s target.
Nicolaides said the education budget is based on four main pillars: addressing enrolment growth, supporting students’ diverse needs, supporting parent choice and delivering new schools.
He said school authorities will receive increased funding thanks to the new funding method, which will be more predictable and sustainable. He also pointed to increases in various grants that will address classroom complexity, vulnerable students, operations and maintenance, transportation and technology.
“We’re hearing the assertion that the government is attacking education. These statements are ludicrous and irresponsible. We’re stepping up by providing more funding and building more schools, with a large investment in Budget 2025, and more planned in 2026 and 2027,” Nicolaides said.
“I’m confident that Budget 2025 will respond to the challenges we face with investments that will ensure Alberta students receive the world-class education they deserve, now and in the future.”
For Schilling, holding the line on the base education grant, which last saw an increase in 2023–24, means the province is continuing to lose ground due to inflation.
“There’s not nearly enough new funding in this budget to meet the needs in our classrooms,” he said.
Steady decline
ATA analysis of Statistics Canada data shows that in 2016–17, Alberta was at the national average in terms of per-student spending by school boards. However, since then the province’s position has declined steadily to the point that Alberta now sits dead last. In fact, when accounting for inflation, Alberta spent 17 per cent less per student in 2022–23 than in 2016–17.
“We can’t keep ignoring the underfunding of public education,” Schilling said. “We’re seeing large and growing class sizes, inadequate student supports and staff struggling to hold it all together.” ❚
Private school funding
One of the four main pillars of the education budget is parent choice.
Increase over budget 2024–25
Overall education spending 4.5%
Funding to private schools 13.0%
ATA president Jason Schilling responding to the budget at a news conference on Mar. 4.
