Despite the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) asking for $11.35 billion in operational funding for education in the 2025 provincial budget, when the budget was released on February 27, nearly $1 billion less was earmarked—a difference Alberta will have to pay for in more than just dollars for years to come.

Heading into the release of Budget 2025, Alberta’s public education system was repeatedly touted as spending the least per student in all of Canada. While other provinces were spending amounts like $16,169 (Quebec) or $13,518 (Ontario) per student, only $11,464 was being spent per student in our province. That left Alberta’s students more than $2,200 below the Canadian average.

This looks like jam-packed classrooms, not enough supports like educational assistants, and even teachers leaving the profession due to exhaustion and burnout.

Breaking down education funding

Overall education spending increased by 4.5 per cent in Budget 2025. That is significant, considering postsecondary education was boosted by only 0.1 per cent. Although, when education spending is broken down further, independent schools (formerly private) will see a 13 per cent increase.

Put simply, more money for independent schools means less money for public schools—where 90 per cent of Alberta students receive their education. Alberta has only one pot of money for both education systems so, when money is diverted to private and charter schools, public schools are left in a funding shortfall. In fact, independent schools receive 70 per cent of the per-student funding that public schools receive, which is the highest private-school funding rate in Canada. Many provinces do not fund private schools at all since they are able to charge tuition and accept only selected students.

Another consideration of Budget 2025 includes moving school district funding calculations from a three-year weighted average to a two-year weighted average. The government says this change will improve the predictability and sustainability of funding for school districts. While it may address rapid enrolment growth in some districts, many will remain underfunded.

Advocating for improvements

ATA president Jason Schilling meets with Alberta’s Education and Childcare minister, Demetrios Nicolaides, on a regular basis and shares teachers’ observations and feedback from classrooms across the province. Schilling has pointed out the support required for the large increases in student population, and additional schools are being built in response. Unfortunately, these new schools won’t be enough. The lack of funding has grown year after year, and Alberta’s public education system is attempting to fill in gaping holes as new ones continually appear. It will take a united front and time to climb out of this underfunding crisis.

It can’t stop here

Crowded classrooms and a lack of resources affect students, parents, teachers, school administrators and, ultimately, the future of the province. Advancing public education is a shared goal and the only way we can make a tangible difference is together. That’s why you play an important role in advocating for a public education system that properly serves our students. Visit the Stop The Excuses website to help us demand better for kids across the province.