Tight CBE budget raises challenges in helping students

Pandemic interruptions `been tough for kids' resulting in learning loss for some

Public schools will face significant challenges in the fall, with students suffering gaps in learning due to COVID disruptions.

But questions remain about whether a tight fall budget will be able to provide the much-needed resources to support kids who have fallen behind academically.

The Calgary Board of Education released its first Budget Assumptions Report for the 2021-22 school year at last week's board meeting, expecting $1.15 billion from Alberta Education.

Of that, about $834 million will go directly to classrooms, a slight bump from last year's $832 million.

But in the yearlong roller-coaster of in-class learning, online learning, substitute teachers and forced quarantines, officials admit learning has been tough for kids.

“In terms of learning loss, this year has been quite unusual, students moving back and forth between in-person learning and then online, and all of those interruptions because of COVID,” said Christopher Usih, CBE chief superintendent.

“Even a year ago last March, when we transitioned to online learning, and then re-entry in September, we have students who experienced loss of learning, and we have students who continue to experience learning loss just because of the unfolding situation. We acknowledge that.”

Usih added that loss of learning is something teachers often deal with in the fall, after students are off in the summer months. But COVID disruptions, and its inevitable loss of learning, have been happening for more than a year, with grades 7 to 12 going back to at-home learning after Nov. 30, 2020, as well as full grades going back to online learning at several different schools throughout the fall and spring.

With COVID-19 variants on the rise, now making up roughly 50 per cent of cases in Alberta, young people are facing the possibility of even more quarantines and learning disruptions, with evidence suggesting variants are more contagious and have a greater effect on younger populations.

But Joanne Pitman, CBE superintendent of school improvement, says the system is working to address COVID -related learning gaps through teacher development and student assessment, while also building data to see where and why students fell behind.

“This will be a massive undertaking, leveraging and building on things that are already happening,” Pitman said.

“We're very much focusing on work in math and literacy ... identifying K-9 assessment and highlighting progression of learning to achieve key outcomes.”

The CBE'S overall funding envelope from the province, at $1.15 billion, is a slight increase of $3.8 million from the previous year's budget.

But student enrolment is expected to jump to 128,562 this fall, from last year's 127,981. That translates to per-student funding of $8,641 this year, up only slightly from last year's $8,617, but down significantly from the 2018-19 school year when per-student funding was $9,054.

As well, the CBE has not received any capital funding for new schools next year and faces up to $173 million in deferred maintenance on aging schools.

“We are entering our next budget cycle on the strength of a solid financial foundation,” said Brad Grundy, chief financial officer for the CBE.

“At the same time, we cannot overlook the realities of managing a growing school system with rising costs and increasing amounts of deferred maintenance.”

Grundy added there is still some unpredictability around the ongoing pandemic, which will likely see younger students still facing COVID cases and quarantine since Canadians under the age of 16 have not been approved for vaccines.

While staffing levels for 2021-22 won't be determined until later this year, HUB online learning will not be available for next year, meaning more teachers may be able to transition to the classroom.

The CBE final budget will be presented to the board May 18.

We have students who continue to experience learning loss.

CHRISTOPHER USIH