The year was 2020. Adriana LaGrange was Alberta’s education minister. A new funding model — the weighted moving average (WMA) — was being introduced “to provide predictable funding to school authorities.” Only time would tell how this would work out.
The WMA funding model for schools brought forward by LaGrange calculates per-student funding using the following formula:
- 20 per cent based on actual enrolment from the previous year,
- 30 per cent based on an estimate for the current year, and
- 50 per cent based on a projection for the upcoming year.
This was a marked a shift from the previous method, which based funding on the number of enrolled students at the end of September. Yes, actually counting students in class and funding the schools for them.
Alberta Education acknowledged that this new system benefited divisions with declining enrolments, often found in rural areas. The result? A funding shortfall for divisions with increasing enrolments. And, as we all know, an unprecedented increase in the student population has become the key issue facing Alberta classrooms. This growth will persist, with the projected population of school-aged children in Alberta almost doubling by 2030.
The Government of Alberta tried to fix the WMA problems by introducing an in-year adjustment known as the Supplemental Enrolment Growth Grant. However, this grant has proven to be insufficient. Divisions with enrolment growth exceeding 5 per cent receive $3,000 per student over the 5 per cent threshold, which is significantly less than the base grant and does not cover other essential grants.
To illustrate the shortcomings of the current funding structure, consider a division with 4 per cent annual growth. Starting with 25,000 students in 2023, their enrolments would be
- 2022/23: 25,000 students,
- 2023/24: 26,000 students and
- 2024/25: 27,040 students.
Even if Alberta Education accurately projects 27,040 students for 2024/25, the division’s WMA would only fund 26,320 students. This would leave 720 students unfunded, resulting in a shortfall of approximately $2.28 million in base funding alone. This does not account for additional funding gaps in areas such as transportation, specialized learning supports and school-based operations. Consequently, the division would be unable to hire the 25 to 30 additional teachers needed to support these 720 students.
The ATA has been pointing out the issues with this wholly inadequate funding model since 2020. We have seen how averaging enrolment figures penalizes school divisions with increasing enrolments. This year, the schools with the upper end of enrolment numbers will suffer and, ultimately, so will the students. With the significant enrolment increases we are witnessing in Alberta, it is counterproductive to base funding on past years. Schools need immediate funding to address current enrolment levels, not outdated figures from two years ago.
In recent education announcements, we have heard from Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides that the ministry is hoping to nail down a new funding formula in time for the 2025 budget. Changes can’t come soon enough. Let’s hope it is a model that meets the needs of all students in our public education system.
I welcome your comments. Contact me at kristine.wilkinson@ata.ab.ca.
ATA News, Editor-in-Chief
