Public dollars earmarked for private school construction

The Government of Alberta is set to invest $90 million to add 6,000 new student spaces to the independent school system under Budget 2026. The newly announced Independent School Capital program will contribute up to $10 million in matching grants to independent school boards over three years. 

Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides said that priority will be given to schools focused on students with disabilities.

“Independent schools serve many students with complex learning needs, including those with significant disabilities,” he said. “Supporting school choice ensures families can select the learning environment that best meets their child’s unique needs and gives students the support they need to succeed.”

The announcement comes as a response to continuing student population increases across the province. In the 2026/27 school year, the government expects that student enrolment in private schools will grow by 11.4 per cent. 

Abraham Abougouche, president of the Association of Independent School and Colleges in Alberta, welcomed the investment into private school builds.

“This will help alleviate student space pressures systemwide and expand choices for families,” Abougouche said. 

But the move is drawing criticism from public education advocates. The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) says the province helping to finance more student spaces in private schools is a new and concerning issue. 
“Funding the expansion of private schools is just another hit on public education, which is already bruised,” ATA president Jason Schilling said. 

Alberta already provides the highest level of public funding to private school students of any province in Canada. Independent students receive 70 per cent of the funding that public students receive. Notably, roughly 93 per cent of Alberta students are enrolled in the public school system. 

“Our government has only just promised investments to bring Alberta’s operational funding per student to the middle of the pack, up from last place across Canada, where it sat for years,” said Schilling. “Increasing the amount spent on private schools, especially when it comes to construction, should never happen.”

The new dollars for increasing independent student spaces comes roughly a year and a half after the province pledged $8.6 billion over seven years to build more public schools using an accelerated process. According to the government, in the first year of the Schools Now program, nearly 6,000 student spaces were either created or renovated.

The first grant under the Independent School Capital program will go toward the completion of Three Sisters Centre, a 250-student capacity preschool-to-Grade 12 school just outside of Calgary that serves children with disabilities. The school, run by Renfrew Educational Services, is slated to be open in time for the 2027/28 school year.