4 ❚ The ATA News , March 10, 2026
Education budget increase a meaningful step
Lindsay Yakimyshyn ATA News Managing Editor It was a significant day for public education in Alberta, according to Alberta Teachers’Association (ATA) president Jason Schilling. On February 25, prior to tabling Budget 2026, the Government of Alberta announced that the education budget would be increasing by $722 million, or more than seven per cent. Touted by the province as a “historic investment” in Alberta’s education system, $10.8 billion—about $54 million per school day—has been allotted for education operational funding. “Investing in the next generation of Albertans remains the utmost priority for our government,” said Premier Danielle Smith, making the funding announcement. She added that the government would continue to increase education funding over each of the next three years to address the challenges facing Alberta’s education system. Also increasing is the budget line for independent schools and private early childhood services operators.At about 15 per cent, the increase is notable; however, the source of the increase, whether enrolment growth or funding formula changes, remains unclear. Greater clarity is expected when the
Budget 2026 Funding Manual becomes available, likely in early April. While details on the education budget are forthcoming, Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides shared that the three priorities for the new education funding are supporting classroom staff, strengthening supports for students who need it most and addressing classroom complexity. In particular, $355 million is being allocated to address classroom complexity. Further, the budget expects an addition of 1,600 teachers this year. The ATA acknowledged the significance of the announcement, with Schilling saying that this investment represents a meaningful step toward addressing the challenging learning conditions in Alberta schools. “The government has announced a historic investment in our classrooms, one that recognizes the urgency of the crisis teachers have been describing for years,” said Schilling. Ensuring promises are kept The announcement follows historic labour action taken by teachers in fall 2025, which raised issues about teaching and learning conditions. “[Teachers] told us loud and clear that the status quo was not sustainable and we listened,” said Smith. Nicolaides likewise said that the
investment into education responded to teacher concerns, noting that the province heard “the largest expression of teacher voices” during the strike. “I think our investment today and through Budget 2026 […] demonstrates that we’re listening very carefully, but more importantly we’re taking teacher concerns and parent concerns very seriously and acting on those concerns,” Nicolaides said. “I do firmly believe it can be a strong demonstration of our intent to listen and respond effectively to the challenges we’re seeing.” Schilling spoke on the importance of teachers’ advocacy efforts, tying them to the budget increase, and thanking members for standing together and speaking up this past year. “Your courage, your advocacy and your unwavering commitment to your students during the challenges of this past fall have changed the course of public education in this province.” He added that this funding increase results from not only teacher unity, but also the community’s vocal support for public education. “This investment in Alberta’s classrooms belongs to every teacher who shared their story and every Albertan who stood beside them,” Schilling said. While recognizing the significance of the funding increase, Schilling
also emphasized that meaningful change will be measured not by announcements, but by the day-to- day realities in classrooms. For the ATA, the focus now shifts to how the funding makes its way into classrooms and whether it translates into tangible improvements for teachers and students across the province. “Today, we acknowledge what we have achieved together. Tomorrow, we begin the work of ensuring these promises are kept,” Schilling said. Breakdown of Budget 2026 commitments • Hiring 1,600 teachers by 2026–27 • $300 million in new classroom complexity funding, in addition to previously announced amounts • A further $55 million added to the classroom complexity grant • A three per cent increase to base instruction funding, as well as transportation and technology grants • Six per cent increases to program unit funding, moderate language delay, English as an additional language and francisation grants • Three per cent increases to First Nations, Inuit and Métis; refugee; specialized learning supports; and francophone equivalency grants • A five per cent increase to plant operations and maintenance funding • A five per cent reduction to board and system administration funding
CHRIS SCHWARZ/GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA The education budget was shared during a press conference on February 25.
LINDSAY YAKIMYSHYN
ATA president Jason Schilling responded to the education budget announcement the day it was released.
Government announces $143 million for complexity teams
Mark Milne ATA News Staff On February 12, the Government of Alberta released the findings of their Alberta Classroom Insights Survey , which revealed that thousands of classrooms across the province are struggling with “high complexity.” The results prompted a $143 million emergency investment from the government to deploy specialized support teams into schools. “During the strike in October, many teachers and parents raised concerns over the issue of complexity in classrooms,” said Premier Danielle Smith at the government’s media conference. “Minister Nicolaides and I are committed to listening and acting on their concerns.” This is first time in six years that the province has collected a class-by-class breakdown of learning conditions. The study flagged more than 4,000 classrooms as “highly complex,” a designation based on a combination of student density, specialized learning needs and chronic behavioural challenges. Demetrios Nicolaides, minister of Education and Childcare, identified
655 high-priority schools that will be the first to receive help. The centerpiece of the government’s response is the creation of 476 classroom complexity teams. Each team will consist of one teacher and two educational assistants. These teams are designed to provide immediate, in-class relief by assisting with English language- learners, supporting students with special needs and managing disruptive behaviours that have increasingly strained the learning environment. The complexity teams are part of a broader $10.8 billion education budget for 2026, which includes a commitment to hire 5,000 new teachers and support staff over the next three years. Of the initial 476 complexity teams, 171 are slated for Calgary and 143 for Edmonton, with the remainder distributed to rural and smaller urban districts. The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) called the funding a “meaningful step,” noting that the government’s data reflects the findings of their own member surveys.ATA president Jason Schilling credited “teacher unity” for moving the needle on the issue but expressed skepticism regarding the speed of implementation.
“This shift is a direct result of the relentless advocacy by teachers, bolstered by parents and communities who collectively demanded an end to the unsustainable status quo,” said Schilling. While the funding for complexity in K–6 is a welcome first step, Schilling says the classes for Grades 7–12 are also under extreme pressure. “We know from our own research and our pulse survey data that we released in January that some of our largest classrooms are in high school.” Nicolaides noted that while the current focus is on elementary schools to ensure early intervention, the Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee will continue to monitor junior and senior high schools to address rising pressures in those higher grades. The premier also emphasized that the government aims to provide the necessary supports to address complexity. “Our message to teachers and to school administrators is this: We have heard you. We’re here for you, and help is on the way,” said Smith. “We want you back doing what you do best—teaching, providing leadership and shaping the next generation of young Albertans in one of the world’s top ranking school systems.”
Schilling says schools need to see the immediate deployment of these complexity teams to the classrooms, as well as concrete, sustainable plans for the future. “The ATA will closely monitor the deployment of these new resources to ensure they result in real improvements for students and teachers,” said Schilling.“And it is now the responsibility of school boards to act swiftly so that new staffing is in place without delay.” The list of schools that will be receiving new classroom complexity teams is available at abteach.cc/ complexity-school-data.
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