School Funding in Alberta

How is it calculated? How it affects education? How are teachers really doing?

I was going to write an article on funding that compared Charter, Public, and Private/Independent Schools - then I came across how the funding is divided out. So.. I went down that rabbit hole. I think it’s important to understand how funding works in Alberta schools. Premier Smith claims that the average student in Alberta is funded for $13,494, while the ATA claims students are funded closer to the $11,000 range. Who is right? It’s a little complicated, so let’s look at how funding actually works in Alberta. I will also look at the issue that has teacher’s going on strike on October 6, 2025 - Classroom Complexity. It ties into the funding argument. A REMINDER PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE TO TAKE EVERYONE AND ENSURE THERE IS A PROPER PROGRAM FOR EACH STUDENT. Charter and Private schools can pick and choose their clients/students.

2025/26 - Funding Manual https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/8f3b4972-4c47-4009-a090-5b470e68d633/resource/c3303ed0-6b12-4774-b6c9-8a6b6115abbf/download/educ-funding-manual-2025-2026-school-year.pdf (it is also linked below)

First, let’s look at funding: How does Alberta fund Charter, Public and Private/Independent Schools?

To clarify, Danielle Smith saying that Alberta funds students in the $12,000 - $14,000 range is wrong. Here is what GROK AI explains: Alberta base funding per student. Source Breakdown: The $13,692 national average comes from Statistics Canada's "Revenue and Expenditure of Public School Boards" report, which tracks operational expenditures (e.g., instruction, support services, administration, and maintenance) divided by full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrolment. This is the Canadian Average.

Alberta's lower figure reflects provincial budget constraints, with critics like the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) noting that the 2025-26 budget's $9.9 billion total for K-12 education still falls short of the $11.35 billion needed to reach the national average, based on projected enrolment of around 860,000–870,000 students. For reference, dividing $9.9 billion by an estimated 865,000 students yields approximately $11,445 per student—consistent with Alberta's historical low.

In her September 2025 radio show episode of Your Province, Your Premier, Smith used the $12,000 to $14,000 range to question spending priorities amid debates on private and charter school funding, emphasizing that Alberta already subsidizes private schools at 70% of public rates (the highest in Canada) while public systems face overcrowding.

Provincial vs. National Trends: Alberta's base instruction funding (core per-student allocation before supplements) for 2025-26 ranges from $3,282 for ECS to $7,220 for Grades 10–12, with total operational funding averaging lower than the national figure due to factors like higher student-teacher ratios (17:1 (Alberta) vs. 12:1 nationally). Some K-6 classrooms report having over 30 students with no EA time. The ATA has called for a 13–16% funding boost to align with the national average, arguing current levels inadequately cover inflation, growth, and special needs.

So, regardless of allocating money to Public, Charter, or Private schools, they are not putting enough money into the system.

Some basic facts: Public, Separate, and Charter Schools' funding is primarily enrolment-based, using the Adjusted Enrolment Method (AEM) formula, which incorporates a weighted average of prior-year actual enrolment (30%) and current-year projections (70%), finalized after the September 29, 2025, count date. New charter schools receive funding based on actual enrolment for their first three years before transitioning to AEM. (This is an improvement on the Weighted Movement Average - WMA instituted by Adriana LaGrange, which was 20% of the actual count of the previous year, 30% estimated count of the current year, and 50% projected count of the following year. This has left school districts chronically underfunded over the last five years.)

2022/2023 - Funding Manual https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/8f3b4972-4c47-4009-a090-5b470e68d633/resource/e7865589-6774-4ba8-89b5-a61ca2f36843/download/edc-funding-manual-2022-2023-school-year.pdf (page 24/170)

2025/26 - Funding Manual https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/8f3b4972-4c47-4009-a090-5b470e68d633/resource/c3303ed0-6b12-4774-b6c9-8a6b6115abbf/download/educ-funding-manual-2025-2026-school-year.pdf

The total funding per student varies by grade level, student needs, location, and program, but the base instruction rate (the core per-student allocation for general education) for the 2025-26 school year is as follows:

Charter and Public Schools are funded 100% of these amounts - Private/Independent are funded 70%.

Grade Level/Category Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Base Instruction Funding Rate per AEM FTE

ECS (Early Childhood Services) 0.5 $3,281.77

Grades 1-9 1.0 $6,563.53

Grades 10-12 (Years 1-3 of high school) 1.0 $7,219.88

Grades 10-12 (Year 4) 1.0 $3,609.95 (50% of high school base rate) Grades 10-12 (Year 5+) 1.0 $1,804.98 (25% of high school base rate)

Additional Grants (Beyond Base): If this sounds confusing - it is.

• These Grants are 100% available for Public, Separate, and Charter Schools.

• Private schools can access supplemental grants for specific student needs, similar to public schools, which may increase total funding but are not strictly part of the "70% base" calculation. Examples include:

  • Specialized Learning Supports (SLS): For students with moderate to severe disabilities, e.g., $19,397.42 per severe disability student or $5,775.00 (adjusted) for moderate needs.

  • A severe special needs high school student would get $26,617.30/ Gr 1 - 9 would get $25,969.95

  • A moderate special needs high school student would get $12,994.88/ Gr 1 - 9 would get $12,338,53 (656.35 less)

Any Language or First Nations funding (Cultural funding)

• English as an Additional Language (EAL): $1,413.72 per qualifying student. Gr. 1-9 $7977.25

• Francisation (French immersion/as a second language): $1,413.72 per qualifying student (codes 306/307; primarily for francophone authorities but available if applicable). Gr. 1-9 $7977.25

• First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI): $1,413.72 per self-identified student. Gr. 1-9 $7977.25

Refugee Funding

• Refugee Student Support: $6,352.50 per qualifying student. Gr 1-9 $12,916.03

Classroom Complexity Funding (This is what Alberta teachers are concerned about)

• Classroom Complexity: $78.00 per ECS–Grade 9 student, plus authority-level allocations.

• These grants are provided at 100% of the public school rate for eligible students, not discounted to 70% for Private/Independent schools, and are subject to the same eligibility criteria (e.g., diagnostic codes, program requirements).

Let’s take a classroom of 25 Grade 3 students in a big city classroom -

• You have 3 moderate special needs, 1 severe special needs, 5 EAL, 3 First Nations, and 2 refugee students out of 25 (This is a low-end number of class size today) - 14 students who qualify for more funding

• What does that work out to? $37,015.59 + $25,969.95 + $39,886.25 + $23,931.75+ $25,832.06 = $152,635.60 for special needs funding + $91,889.42 regular funded students = $244,524.42 + $1940 for classroom complexity = $246,474.42 funding for one classroom. (Each special needs student coded mild, moderate or severe, needs an Individual Program Plan. Students that have a coding for ELA have their language proficiency evaluated and entered into a tracking document each year. If you have students in foster care - there is an Success in School document that needs to be completed with the foster parents and the social worker assigned to the case. Success in school for children and youth in care : Provincial Protocol Framework - Open Government. IPP’s have to be updated each reporting period. https://www.shellyqualtieri.ca/blog/Navigating%20IPP%20in%20Alberta a breakdown on IPPs for parents) For students with Severe Special Needs, there often needs to be six weeks of anecdotal records that can support the need for testing and coding. This adds to teacher’s work loads.

• Then you have the next classroom that has not tested students yet because there are no programs before Grade 3 with the same number of students and the same complexities, you get the flat rate of 25 x $6563.53 = $164,088.25 + $1940 for classroom complexities. This classroom has the same needs, and the Administration has to decide who gets the support and how much support they get, which students get testing for extra support and what that support will look like.

• (The refugee population is not as large today, but I worked when we got 50 students over Spring Break when refugees were coming from Syria and being settled in neighborhoods - it was chaotic.)

• Today, you can have classrooms with 30+ students and varying needs. You may have some time with an Educational Assistant to help support the classroom or particular students)

• Rural schools have difficulty because they don’t have the student population and need to be funded to operate the schools.

Back to the grants.

• Operations & Maintenance (O&M): $228.10 per student (AEM FTE - This is the funding formula), plus $68.18 per square meter of utilized space or $46.19 for underutilized space. Charter schools are excluded from standard space funding formulas and instead receive $856.72 per student for alternative programs in private spaces.

• Transportation Funding: $524.00–$570.00 urban or distance-based rates) for students meeting distance thresholds (1.6 km for ECS–Grade 6, 2 km for Grades 7–12). Available at 70% of the public school rate for Private/ Independent Schools.

• Other Grants: Limited access to community-based grants (e.g., School Nutrition) or authority-based grants (e.g., System Administration, ~$200–$500 per student equivalent), but private schools are excluded from capital funding (e.g., new school construction) and certain operational grants like O&M ($228.10 per student + space-based allocations in public systems).

2nd level of grants

Community-Based and Authority-Based Grants (Variable Per Student)

• Rural Schools Grant: Additional per-student support for small/rural charters (e.g., based on enrolment thresholds; exact rates tied to AEM).

• Mental Health and Wellbeing Grant: Allocated per authority (e.g., for counseling supports; amount based on enrolment, not specified per student but averages ~$100–$200 per FTE province-wide). Alberta Education under Adriana LaGrange canceled contracts with Alberta Health Services for speech/language, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, deaf and hard of hearing, visual/blindness, and mental health services. Instead, they allocated money to school boards, which then had to hire specialized consultants to fill these roles. They also hire their own psychologists to do testing etc. Smaller school boards contract these services, while larger boards can hire them on as staff.

• System Administration: Flat per-authority funding (e.g., for overhead), which equates to ~$200–$500 per student, depending on size.

• Targeted Grants: Examples include School Nutrition ($ variable per student for meals) and Infrastructure Maintenance (~$ per square meter, prorated).

For context, the average total operational funding per student across all public systems (including base plus supplements) was approximately $13,421 in 2021-22 in Canada (the latest Statistics Canada figure; more recent Alberta provincial data aligns closely, around $11,464-$13,000 depending on inclusions like overhead). Charter schools' total can reach similar levels; still, it may be slightly lower on average due to their smaller size, specialized focus, and historical underfunding critiques (e.g., less access to certain pooled resources).

The school boards submit their aggregate counts to Alberta Education for the number of students that are in each category in their district. The Districts fund schools based on their student population and coding. School Administration then have to budget for staffing, resources, and materials.

School Builds (Alberta Education Also Funds These)

Today, Public and Charter Schools are funded for new school builds and renovations. Alberta Education is also stepping up to fund non-profit private school building/renovation. Alberta has changed the rules so that all new school buildings belong to the province. This allows the province to assign schools to different school authorities. https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/bill-51-public-school-property-ownership

(The links below will let you see where schools are being planned, designed, and built)

https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/educ-approved-school-capital-list-2024.pdf

On this list, 2024 - Edmonton Public got one school built, while Edmonton Catholic got four schools built. Calgary Board of Education got three schools, and the Catholic Board got two. https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/educ-approved-school-capital-list-2025.pdf

On this list, 2025 - Edmonton Public has four schools in the planning stage and one in the design stage. Edmonton Catholic has three schools in the planning stage. Calgary Board of Education has ten in the design stage. The Catholic Board has three in the planning stage and one in the design stage.

Recent Changes (2024–2025 Announcements)

In September 2024, Premier Danielle Smith's government announced a major expansion of school infrastructure funding as part of an $8.6 billion investment over three years (starting in the 2025-26 budget year) to create up to 200,000 new student spaces by 2031. This includes building up to 90 new schools annually, modernizing or renovating 5–8 older facilities (mostly rural), and adding modular classrooms. Crucially, this plan now extends to private schools for the first time:

• Pilot Program for Private School Construction: The "Alberta New School Accelerator Program" introduces a pilot initiative to "incentivize" non-profit private schools to build or expand facilities using public funds. This is designed to create thousands of additional student spaces, with funding covering a portion of costs (not full coverage) to encourage private investment. Details are still being finalized, but it sets a precedent for provincial support, potentially including grants for new builds and renovations.

  • Scope: Up to five charter school projects per year (adding 12,500 spaces over four years), with similar incentives for private schools. This responds to enrollment growth in independent schools (up 10.5% from 2022–2024, triple the public rate).

  • Rationale: Government officials argue it relieves pressure on public systems, saves taxpayer money (since private schools receive less operational funding per student, about $3,400 less), and aligns with "school choice" policies. Proponents, like the Association of Independent Schools and Colleges of Alberta (AISCA), welcome it as a step toward equitable support.

• Implementation Timeline: Funding begins in 2025-26, with projects accelerating from design to construction. As of September 16, 2025, initial projects (e.g., 11 sped-up builds in Calgary and Edmonton) are advancing, though private-specific allocations are in the pilot phase.

• Eligibility and Restrictions: Limited to non-profit, accredited, funded private schools. Funding is incentive-based (e.g., matching grants), not full subsidies, and must create accessible spaces (though critics note private schools can select students). Special education private schools may also qualify if aligned with disability support needs.

Controversies and Criticisms

This shift has sparked debate:

• Public System Impacts: Groups like the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) and Support Our Students Alberta argue that diverting funds to private schools (which charge tuition and aren't open to all students) harms the public system, where 90%+ of students attend. ATA President Jason Schilling stated in 2024 that public dollars should prioritize accessible schools.

• Precedent and Equity: The Public School Boards Association of Alberta (PSBAA) warns the province could prioritize private/charter builds over public ones, creating more fragmentation in funding for Public Education. Alberta is already an outlier, spending more on private operational subsidies than most provinces (e.g., Ontario funds none).

• Global Context: Supporters cite international norms where "pluralist public education" includes funding for diverse providers, but critics see it as privatization scaling up.

Key Data Comparison: Funding Types for Schools in Alberta (2025 Estimates) Operational Funding is the cost of running the building -

School Operational Capital Funding for Capital Funding Type Funding Builds/Renovations (Pre-2025) (Post-2024 Announcement) ************************************************************************************************************Public Full per-student grants Yes (e.g., $2.1B in Yes, prioritize 2024 for 200,000+ spaces) (up to 30 new schools/year) Separate Full per-student grants Yes Yes (Catholic)

Charter Partial (70–85%) Limited Yes (5 projects/year, 12,500 spaces)

Private Partial (70%) No Pilot incentives for (Funded Accredited) non-profits (new builds/expansions)

Private None No No (Non-Funded) **************************************************************************************************

In summary, Public Education is being underfunded and has been for years. This has caused enormous and complex classrooms being taught by dedicated teachers who are facing a daunting job. Premier Smith and Minister Nicolaides keep telling Albertans they are funding education appropriately. From our investigation, Public Education is not being funded to the level it should. Teachers have been asking for classroom complexity to be addressed for years. The government keeps threatening to cut more funding and more positions. They say they are going to look at how the Districts are spending the money because that’s where the problems lie. The truth is the government is continuing to underfund Public Education and therein lies the problem.

The links aren’t linking today, you will have to cut and paste the headlines in your browser.

In 2022 the ATA were raising the alarm and looking for solutions. The government wasn’t interested in listening to them.

2022 https://teachers.ab.ca/news/looking-south

January 27, 2022 'Disrespected and demoralized': Survey shows 37% of Alberta teachers may leave in the next five years - Sean Amato CTV

November 23, 2023 Workload issues prompting teachers to quit (cut and paste) - Karen Gill ATA Magazine

June 27, 2024 Alberta School Boards are Cutting Hundreds of Teaching Positions Next Year, Teachers’ Association Says Stephen Magusiak Press Progress.

2024 Exiting the Teaching Profession in Alberta—A Qualitative Research Study with Actionable Opportunities ATA research 2024 (One in three Alberta teachers report plans to either leave teaching, migrate out of Alberta or retire.)

December 2, 2024 Alberta teacher exodus ‘a crisis in public education’ – The Press Emily Milligan

June 11, 2025 - Alberta Teachers Are Not OK | The Tyee Meaghan Archer

Next Week, we will look at funding the different types of schools and what public funds they have access to as well as the kind of programming they provide.