On May 13, the province announced the Class Size Reduction Grant, $200 million aimed at hiring more than 1,400 kindergarten to Grade 9 teachers for the 2026/27 school year.
Informed by the work of the Class Size and Complexity Committee, the grant will be distributed based on data that was collected from school boards in November 2025. All public, separate and francophone school authorities are set to receive funds under this new grant, with more funding being allocated for schools with more core classes that exceed a “high threshold” for their grade.
“Smaller class sizes make a real difference for students and teachers, especially in the early and middle grades,” said Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare. “This targeted investment helps ensure classrooms are safer, more manageable and focused on student success.”
ATA president Jason Schilling viewed the newly announced grant as a positive first step toward addressing the “damage done by years of chronic underfunding,” adding that the announcement validated concerns about class size and complexity raised by teachers during their provincewide strike.
“Every student in Alberta deserves the opportunity to learn in a classroom where they can receive the attention and support they need to thrive,” Schilling said. “And every teacher deserves the professional conditions necessary to meet the diverse needs of their students.”
The funding allocations under this grant for 2026/27 are available at https://abteach.cc/class-size-grant.
