Trustees, parents applaud commitment to new schools
Education spending to jump four per cent, not including possible raises for teachers
As school districts turn pupils away from packed suburban schools, a government promise to build or modernize 26 schools across Alberta is a good start, say board trustees and a parent group.
Thursday’s provincial budget promised four new schools for Edmonton, plus money to plan a fifth one.
“We are delighted to see the infrastructure commitment,” said Alberta School Boards Association president Mary Martin.
The budget promised money for five new schools Calgary, and projects in Airdrie, Bonnyville, Banff, Drayton Valley, Lethbridge and Grande Prairie.
Some school buildings are water damaged, have obsolete boilers, sagging roofs and cold air seeping through aging window frames, Finance Minister Joe Ceci’s budget speech said.
“That’s not right, and the decision to fix those issues for our kids shouldn’t be dependent on oil price decisions made half a world away,” he said.
“Our kids deserve better. Much better.”
The government will reveal next week exactly which schools it intends to build or modernize.
Education Minister David Eggen said he’s proud of the investments, which balance the needs of booming suburbs with aging buildings that must be replaced.
The construction announced Thursday will cost nearly $1 billion during the next four years, with most of the expenses coming in 2019 and 2020.
Finishing up a glut of 200 school projects announced in 2013 and 2014 will cost the government $1.1 billion in 2017-18.
Designing new school buildings to be flexible and useful to a community as the population ages is key, said Barbara Silva, spokeswoman for parent group Support Our Students.
Edmonton Public Schools has 27 construction projects on its three-year wish list, and Edmonton Catholic Schools has 21.
Edmonton public school board chairwoman Michelle Draper said although she’s excited about the investments, the district is already far behind.
“The lack of high school space is going to become a crisis if it’s not addressed in the next year or two,” she said.
A couple of new schools won’t meet Edmonton Catholic’s needs, but it’s a start, board chairwoman Laura Thibert said.
“We’re going to have to ask for more,” she said.
The budget also included $250 million to fund 12,000 more students expected to enrol in Alberta schools next year.
Education ministry spending will jump to $8.2 billion in 2017-18 from $7.9 billion last year — an increase of about four per cent. The increase does not account for possible raises for teachers, who are currently negotiating a new contract.
Alberta Teachers’ Association president Mark Ramsankar gave the budget a B grade, saying it was a good effort in tough financial times.
More important is how school boards spend that money to get students the resources they need, he said.
The government also moved to fulfil an election promise to introduce school-lunch programs across the province by allotting $10 million for around 40 school boards to serve midday meals. A $3-million pilot project began this year that brought lunch programs to 31 schools.
Funding is also up six per cent to nearly 100 private schools and about 100 private daycares across the province, which will receive a collective $263 million.
As announced earlier this month, the government also aims to introduce new limits on the fees schools are permitted to charge families, which should collectively save parents $54 million a year.
Wildrose education critic Leela Aheer applauded the government’s move to reduce school fees, but questioned whether it will help school boards who are saddled with new carbon tax expenses.
The education ministry projects Alberta school enrolment will grow by 1.8 per cent next year, 2.2 per cent in 2018-19, and another 2.5 per cent in 2019-20.
The lack of high school space is going to become a crisis if it’s not addressed in the next year or two.