More students, fewer teachers: Edmonton Public Schools passes 'a tough budget'
Public school trustees in Edmonton are blaming the provincial government for a plan passed Friday that will result in fewer teachers and more students next year.
Edmonton Public Schools is expecting enrollment to grow by about 5,500 kids, while the number of full-time teachers falls by about 13.
"Simply we don't have the money to hire the additional staff, be that teachers or educational assistants, that we need to support our students," board chair Trisha Estabrooks told reporters.
The 2023-24 budget will be $1.28 billion, up about $80 million from this school year.
Much of that additional money is being spent on high utility costs, increased maintenance and insurance bills, salary increases and the rising costs of benefits, school administrators wrote in budget documents.
The division projects enrollment to hit 114,265 students, an increase of about 5 per cent.
About 5,390 "full-time equivalent" teaching positions are budgeted, a decrease from 5,403.
Overall, staffing will increase by 27 positions because of more educational assistants and support staff.
"We want to create possibilities for the kids and families we serve," Estabrooks said.
"Unfortunately, the possibilities that we need, we're not seeing that from the provincial government in our current budget. And so once again, it's a tough budget."
She believes Alberta has a "fundamentally-flawed funding model" and said the division was hoping for 12 new schools this year, but is only getting one.
"We're running out of space. We don't have the funding that supports enrollment growth," Estabrooks said.
The UCP platform states education spending has increased from $8.2 billion in 2019 to $8.8 billion this year.
It also says 106 new schools and modernizations have been announced by its government since 2019.
The NDP says that since 2019, 36,000 more students are attending schools in the province but the UCP has not hired "a single additional teacher."
The NDP is promising to hire 4,000 more teachers and 3,000 education support staff across Alberta and build more schools to ease overcrowding.
Alberta's election is May 29.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
Tesla recalling nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks because accelerator pedal can get stuck
Tesla is recalling 3,878 of its 2024 Cybertrucks after it discovered that the accelerator pedal can become stuck, potentially causing the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally and increase the risk of a crash.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
A couple lost their wedding rings during the ceremony. Two strangers found a fitting solution
Every good wedding has to have one teensy, tiny crisis.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.