Alberta government announces 11 new schools for Edmonton in province-wide expansion

The Alberta government announced plans Thursday for more than three dozen school projects aimed at creating 39,000 new and upgraded student spaces across the province, with 11 of the new schools coming to Edmonton.

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides cited rapid immigration and population growth as drivers of pressure on the system. The province estimates about 90,000 additional students enrolled in Alberta schools over the past four years.

Under the province's "Schools Now" program, projects are being fast-tracked to accelerate construction of most schools by between six weeks and nine months. Twelve schools are expected to be completed by the end of the current fiscal year, 19 are approved to start construction, and 22 others are moving from planning to the design stage.

However, Wing Li, spokesperson for the public education advocacy group "Support Our Students," raised concerns about implementation. While acknowledging the obvious need for more school spaces — many schools in the province are full and using lottery-based admissions — Li warned that moving projects from planning to design isn't the same as putting shovels in the ground. She also flagged a shortage of teachers and other educators. "We know that there aren't enough professionals in this province entering that teaching profession or staying in the teaching profession," Li said. "Having four walls and windows is great, but who is going to be teaching face-to-face in these classrooms?" Li called for a concurrent recruitment and retention program alongside construction acceleration.