RMWB School Zone, supplied image
EDMONTON — Alberta’s government says it will spend $200 million to hire more than 1,400 teachers in an effort to reduce class sizes in kindergarten to Grade 9 classrooms next school year.
The province announced the new Class Size Reduction Grant on Wednesday, saying the funding will be distributed to public, separate and francophone school divisions for the 2026-27 school year.
The government says Alberta classrooms have added nearly 90,000 students over the past four years as rapid population growth continues across the province.
Officials say larger and increasingly complex classrooms have made it more difficult for teachers to provide individualized support to students.
Premier Danielle Smith said the investment is part of broader efforts to support schools dealing with growth pressures.
“Over the past year, we have been taking real action to support Alberta classrooms by hiring more teachers, adding more educational supports and creating more student spaces across the province,” Smith said in a statement.
Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said smaller classrooms can improve learning conditions for both students and teachers.
“This targeted investment helps ensure classrooms are safer, more manageable and focused on student success,” Nicolaides said.
The funding follows the creation of Alberta’s Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee, which reviewed data from more than 108,000 classrooms to identify schools facing the greatest pressures from overcrowding and classroom complexity.
Under the formula, schools with more core classes exceeding provincial “high threshold” limits for class size will receive additional funding, particularly in fast-growing divisions.
The province says the new grant builds on a $143 million investment announced earlier this year aimed at addressing classroom complexity during the current school year. That funding supported the hiring of up to 476 teachers and 952 educational assistants.
Colleen Holowaychuk, board chair of Elk Island Public Schools, said smaller classrooms can provide students with more instructional time and better opportunities to understand key concepts.
Sandra Palazzo, board chair of Edmonton Catholic Schools, said the funding recognizes pressures facing rapidly growing school boards and supports a longer-term approach to managing enrolment growth.
Budget 2026 also includes funding to hire more than 1,600 teachers and 800 support staff across Alberta during the 2026-27 school year.
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