Calgary Board of Education trustees unanimously voted this week to submit a balanced 2025/26 CBE budget to the Alberta government.
However, the unanimous sentiment did not extend to the budget’s content.
The budget, presented at the May 26 trustee meeting, has been leaned out, without any “bells and whistles,” according to trustees, with every dollar being maximized.
The 2025/26 budget totals $1.67 billion, a $55 million increase from 2024/25. It is set to support the district’s projected 146,000 students, increasing around 4,000 from 2024/25, and 16,000 staff. More than 90 per cent of the board’s revenue comes directly from Alberta Education, according to the budget. Other revenue sources include other branches of Alberta government and fees, among others.
The noted $55 million increase will help maintain per-student funding, currently projected at $9,311, as noted by Trustee Susan Vukadinovic. In recent years, per-student funding has largely remained the same despite a large inflationary impact. The 2018/19 funds per student, $8,985, would need to be over $11,000 today to provide the same value. When accounting for all CBE students, this presents a more than $274 million difference in funding.
On top of inflationary issues, the board faces an ongoing capital issue, according to board chair Patricia Bolger.
Before the vote, Vukadinovic said that she intended to vote in favour of the budget because it demonstrates “the incredibly smart, hardworking people working for (CBE).”
“They always find a way for us to work with what we get. So, they have brought us a balanced budget,” she said.
“Simply put, the provincial government is not providing the funding necessary for our growing school district.”
Trustee Nancy Close said that throughout her term, she’s felt and voiced that the CBE is underfunded.
“I’ve talked about how we’re not in a position of sustainability and for a while it felt like we were facing this problem alone,” she said.
“But that is no longer the case. I believe underfunding is an Alberta problem.”
Close said that even though the province has provided the CBE increased operational funding, it doesn’t mean that they are providing adequate funding.
“I will support (the 2025/26 budget) but with hesitation and a little bit of frustration,” she said.
Vukadinovic echoed her colleague’s sentiment.
“I agree with Trustee Close that (the province) is not providing the funding necessary for education in our province, period,” she said.
“I am concerned that education in Alberta, we are continuing to see the lowest per-student funding in the entire country for K-12 education and when we’ve heard that the provincial government is clearly committed to a reduced level of funding over the next few years.”
Bolger said that despite lower-than-hoped funding, the district has measures in place to support students.
“We may not have enough support or funding, but we do know we have an excellent system in place to prioritize the needs of our students,” she said.
“We’re directing every available dollar to support student learning.”
Trustee Laura Hack said that although balanced, the budget doesn’t reflect what the CBE should be expecting out of Alberta’s public education system.
“Through no fault of our own, as we don’t get to decide the funds that we need to support the over 140,000 students we serve, we can’t continue serving them with a lack of funding, a lack of space, a lack of staffing, a lack of resources,” she said.
“Countries and communities don’t thrive without robust public education. We’re only a handful of people sitting around the table, but I truly believe that Calgarians feel that resources should be used for educating students. We’ve been advocating for more support for students, which is our job, and I, like trustee Close, will reluctantly support (the budget’s) submission.”
