The Alberta government is investing $215 million into the province’s educational system, in order to address what they say are increasing costs and a surge in population growth in schools.

Within the infusion of funds was an announcement that the investment would contain $90 million going towards the construction of 100 new modular classrooms, and relocation of 50 existing ones to aid Alberta schools.

The remaining $125 million was allocated to school boards around the province including the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and Calgary Catholic School Division (CCSD).

“I am confident that this new funding will help ensure that Alberta students continue to receive a world class education,” said Alberta’s Minister of Education, Demetrios Nicolaides.

CBE will be receiving $31.6 million, with CCSD recieving $9.7 million.

Edmonton’s public board, Edmonton Public Schools, was set to receive less than Calgary’s public board at $22.4 million, while their seperate system was set to receive more than Calgary’s with $10.5 million.

The remaining $15.8 million will be allocated to the rest of Alberta school boards.

“All school boards in the province will receive this increase,” said Minister Nicolaides.

On top of the injection of funds, the government said they would increasing base instruction grant rates by 1.1 per cent.

A two per cent increase was said by the minister to be taking effect for targeted and specialized programs in the province, like the Program Unit Funding (PUF) grant for school authorities with children who require specialized support.

“Through this approach, all students, including our youngest and most vulnerable learners, will receive the support that they need,” said Nicolaides.

The Calgary Board of Education reported a $47 million deficit for special needs funding in 2023.

Premier Danielle Smith characterized the additional funding as new money for Alberta schools.

“So it is new money. Technically, it’s coming from last year’s surplus is how I look at it. I think you’ll see with our government that, rather than spend surpluses before they’re realized, we want to realize surpluses, and then have a constructive conversation about how to spend them.”

Calgary to receive nearly half the new modular classrooms

Out of the new modular classrooms to be distributed to schools, Calgary will be receiving 45 of the 100, 43 will go to Edmonton and 12 to Rocky View.

“The new modulars will provide an additional 2,500 student spaces, and the relocated spaces will transfer up to 1,200 student spaces to our fastest growing communities,” Nicolaides said.

The CBE is growing fast, with 150 out of the 251 schools currently over capacity.

Approximately 15,000 additional students were added in the last three years, and another 8,000 expected for the Fall of 2024.

“Together these increases are enough to fill more than 38 new elementary schools,” said CBE Board Chair, Patricia Bolger.

The Calgary Board of Education in their operational budget for 2023–2024, projected 127,706 students made up of 93,478 in Grades 1 through 9, and 34,228 in Grades 10 through 12.

That number represented a 5.8 per cent change from the previous school year, and an 11 per cent increase from the levels seen in 2021–22.

Minister Nicoliades said that there were a number of challenges facing education in both urban and rural areas of the province.

“We have a lot of challenges. We do absolutely have aging infrastructure, primarily in some of our smaller and older communities, and we also have historic growth affecting primarily our metropolitan metropolitan regions and zones.”

“So we do want to make sure we do recognize both of those challenges.”

Work on the relocation of existing modular classrooms was said by the government to be happening immediately, with the additional 100 classrooms expected to be completed by December of this year.