Alberta government announces ‘historic’ education funding boost in provincial budget

Alberta’s education minister says a “historic” $10.8 billion of operational funding has been allocated for education in Thursday’s provincial budget. 

In a news conference on Wednesday, Premier Danielle Smith said the funding will go toward hiring 1,600 teachers and 800 support staff in the upcoming school year. The government intends to hire 5,000 teachers, education assistants and support staff over three years. 

Smith said more funding is needed to deal with the province’s explosive population growth over the last five years that brought 600,000 people to Alberta and added 80,000 students to the school system. 

“We haven't experienced anything like this in generations and that means we have to consider it in historical time,” she said. “In a few decades. I have no doubt that this will come to be recognized as a transformational period for our province.”

The seven per cent increase works out to an additional $722 million over last year’s budget. 

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said $1.8 billion will provide supports for students with complex learning needs. The province is spending $20 million for additional reading and math support for younger students. 

School transportation funding will get $458 million, or a three per cent increase, for 2026-27.

The province has been making funding announcements ahead of Thursday’s budget, which is expected to have a multi-billion dollar deficit due to a decrease in oil prices. Alberta is heavily dependent on resource revenues.

“We've been accustomed to having a higher amount of resource revenues in order to be able to balance the budget,” Smith said. “And with the additional pressures we have of unprecedented population growth just put us in a position where we had to make some tough choices.”

Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, directly tied the funding increase to last fall’s teachers’ strike. 

The province ended the three-week strike after passing back to work legislation. The bill, which imposed a contract on teachers, used the notwithstanding clause to shield it from court challenges. 

During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Schilling admitted he was expecting “the bare minimum” in education funding.

Schilling said the job action resulted in what he called a “significant day for public education” in Alberta. 

“Today we see the results of teacher unity,” he said. “And by standing as one alongside parents and the community, collectively, we moved the needle.”