As long-term solutions are being built, Alberta’s government has announced new classrooms to ease class sizes in the short term.
The Government of Alberta is investing $200 million into modular classrooms set to hit schools throughout the 2026-27 school year. This funding will deliver about 5,450 student spaces, including 189 new modular classrooms, 12 new washroom units, 10 replacements and 29 relocations, according to a government-issued release.
Calgary Catholic School District will receive 12 and the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) will receive 46. Remaining classrooms will be distributed throughout the province.
CBE Board of Trustees Chair, Laura Hack, said that student learning spaces are something the CBE Board of Trustees cares deeply about.
“The CBE is receiving more than $12 million for 46 module classrooms, for 10 extremely full schools. These classrooms will create over 1,100 new learning spaces, the equivalent of about two elementary schools. But most importantly, it means more than 1,100 students across all grade levels, elementary to high school, will have the opportunity to learn closer to home,” she said.
“This investment in modular classrooms will make a real difference for students and families in their communities.”
Ernest Manning High School, Lester B Pearson High School, David Thompson School and Marshall Springs School will each be receiving six modular classrooms. Annie Foot School, Ron Southern School and Prince of Wales School all get four modulars and Marlborough School and Windsor Park School will each be receiving two.
“With this announcement, the CBE has now received 114 new modulars since 2024, representing 2,850 learning spaces across Calgary,” Hack said.
“While modular classrooms are not permanent structures, they are a practical, cost-effective way to provide timely relief where it’s needed most, they are bright, welcoming learning spaces no different from any other classroom, where teaching and learning happen every day.”
LWC was not able to confirm which schools the 10 modular classrooms for the Calgary Catholic School District will be headed to.
Modulars are not designed as permanent solutions: Minister
During the announcement, Minister of Education and Childcare, Demetrios Nicolaides, said that despite the financial commitment, modular classrooms are not a permanent fix to overcrowded schools.
“(In some cases) Modular classrooms have been used for years and years and decades. We’re hopeful that we get to a situation at some point where they’re no longer needed,” Nicolaides said.
“They do serve a purpose, though. I believe the CBE has, and perhaps other school divisions have in the past, used modulars to construct mini schools where maybe a specific need warrants school space, but not a full school build, and they’ve been able to construct interim solutions using modulars.”
Based on current enrolment projections province-wide, and other previous new school announcements, Nicolaides is anticipating classroom sizes to come down to a manageable level in the years ahead.
“Projections, of course, have varied widely in the past, but we are projected to see a slowdown in student enrolment and a return to more normal levels for the upcoming school year. Pairing that with the significant school construction program that we’re undertaking, I’m confident that we’ll be able to ease a lot of the pressure that we’ve seen,” he said.
Hack could not officially project how the increased number of modulars may impact the district’s upcoming budget, but said that during their budget talks next month, the Board of Trustees will equitably distribute funds to the best of their ability.
“Obviously, as we receive more students, we will need more teachers for them. We’re going to be having our budget discussions starting in May and as we develop the budget, we will see exactly how dollars are allocated,” she said.
