Budget 2012: Investing in People

The Alberta Government has released the 2012 Budget.

What's in the budget for K-12 students?
■$34 million invested every school day in K-12 students.
■School boards to receive grant rate increases of 1%, 2% and 2% for base instruction and class size grants over the next three years to address enrolment and other cost pressures. Other grants increasing 2% each year.
■14 new schools opening their doors to more than 10,000 students this year.
■45 new schools and 31 major renovation projects in planning or construction.
■$1 billion invested in school infrastructure over the next three years.

You can also glean more information from the Alberta Government news release, From kindergarten to post secondary, Alberta's education systems receive predictable funding.

For greater detail, check out the Education Business Plan 2012 - 2015 and the 2012/2013 Government Estimates - Education.

The Calgary Board of Education in a media advisory released today, shared that Administration will be carefully analyzing the provincial budget and will prepare a report for the Trustees to be presented at their regular public meeting on February 21.

Alberta School Boards' Association press release regarding the budget.

The Alberta Teachers' Association responded to the budget with "Shell Game Budget Disappoints Teachers." The article states that the Alberta Government is projecting a 2.5% increase in inflation for the coming year but is only increasing the base instruction grant by 1% for the corresponding time period - which means boards could once again be cutting staff and/or programs.