Photo Courtesy Canadian Press

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Alberta

Alberta government says Budget 2024 supports students and classrooms

Mar 7, 2024 | 4:49 PM

Officials with the provincial government say Budget 2024 supports Alberta students and families with essential investments to address rising enrolment and strengthen specialized learning supports.

The government says Alberta’s population is growing and that means more students throughout the province’s education system. To address rising enrolment in Alberta schools, Alberta’s government says it is providing more than $1.2 billion in funding for enrolment growth over the next three years, if Budget 2024 passes. This funding is expected to empower school authorities to hire up to 3,100 additional teachers and classroom support staff across the province to address Alberta’s growing classrooms.

“Budget 2024 builds on our commitment to address rising enrolment growth, meet the diverse needs of students in the classroom, and support school authorities to continue delivering a world-class education that sets students up for a lifetime of success,” says Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education. “I am confident the investments we’re making will help address enrolment pressures while bringing in more supports to teachers so they can help our students achieve their very best.”

In addition, the government says Budget 2024 provides more than $1.5 billion to school authorities over the next three years so they can continue to provide specialized learning supports. Included in the funding for specialized learning supports is said to be a targeted $26-million increase, over the next three years, to the Program Unit Funding (PUF) program, bringing the total funding to $209 million in the 2024-25 school year.

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The government says Alberta Education provides PUF to school authorities and early childhood services operators to support children aged two years, and eight months to six years who have severe disabilities or delays requiring support beyond what is offered in regular early childhood services programs. Across the country, officials say Alberta is the only province to offer specialized programs through education for children this young. This increase would mean more children with severe disabilities and delays will receive help earlier, and parents will have the peace of mind that their children are receiving the supports they need to reach their full potential, say government officials.

In addition to PUF, the government says Budget 2024 includes $44 million for the 2024-25 school year to address increasing classroom complexities. According to the province, individual school authorities can use this funding to hire additional teachers and specialized classroom support staff so students receive the attention they need.

Of this $44 million, the government says $1 million would be used to increase the number of educational assistant graduates in the province through a Provincial Education Assistant Training program that aims to support training for current or aspiring educational assistants.

“Alberta School Boards Association’s (ASBA) public, Catholic and francophone member school boards remain committed to supporting student success and appreciate government’s additional investments into enrolment and specialized learning supports,” says Marilyn Dennis, president, Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA). “This funding will help address the unprecedented growth many school divisions are facing and provide much needed resources to address complex learning needs. We look forward to boards receiving the funding manual and operational funding profiles to assist in informed decision-making.”

In the 2024-25 fiscal year, provincial officials say the Ministry of Education’s operating budget will reach an all-time high of almost $9.3 billion, an increase of 4.4 per cent compared to 2023-24, which reflects the government’s focus on ensuring Alberta students and school staff have what they need to succeed.

The government describes Budget 2024 as a responsible plan to strengthen health care and education, build safe and supportive communities, manage the province’s resources wisely and promote job creation to continue to build Alberta’s competitive advantage.

Alberta government quick facts

• Learning support funding totalling more than $1.5 billion encompasses the following grants so that school authorities can support students with specialized learning needs:
  • Classroom Complexity Grant
  • English as an Additional Language and Francisation
  • First Nations, Métis and Inuit Grant
  • Geographic Grant
  • Program Unit Funding (PUF)
  • Refugee Student Grant
  • School Nutrition Grant
  • Socio-Economic Status Grant
  • Specialized Learning Support Grant
• The increased funding of $6 million in 2024-25 and $10 million annually going forward for PUF will allow for two enrolment dates (September and February) and ensure all eligible children are enrolled and funded.

Amanda Chapman Alberta NDP Critic for Education issued the following statement in response:

“No matter how they try to spin it, Danielle Smith and the UCP are massively underfunding education in Alberta and their budget has made a horrible situation even worse.

“Under the UCP’s watch, Alberta has sunk from being one of the top funders of students to the lowest in the country, showing how little they truly value our children, despite what they might claim.

“Now today, the Minister is suggesting Albertans should celebrate a $6 million increase to PUF funding when the UCP has cut over $90 million from this incredibly important program, leaving special needs students with extra learning needs without support for years.

“This year’s budget provides funding for less than half of the new teachers needed, let alone all the Educational Assistants and other professionals that are needed to address our students’ growing individual needs.

“And that’s if all of our current educational professionals stay. Sadly, up to one-third of them are looking to retire or quit in the next two years, often because they’re not able to perform their duties adequately.

“This does not even address the glaring underfunding of new school facilities to address the massive over-crowding that is being experienced across Alberta.

“Educating our kids is not a ‘want’ that Danielle Smith so easily brushes aside. Our children need to have access to the best education we can provide in a setting that is conducive for learning. The UCP is leaving our children behind and we demand they do more,”

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