Urgent Call for Volunteers to Support Alberta Education Funding Petition

Calgary teacher Alicia Taylor is urgently seeking more canvassers for a pivotal province-wide petition challenging Alberta’s education funding model. The initiative aims to end the practice of allocating public funds to accredited independent, or private, schools, a move that could significantly reshape how education is financed across Alberta.

Taylor, a high school chemistry teacher in Calgary, launched the petition, which was approved by Elections Alberta on October 3. Her goal is to gather 177,000 signatures within 120 days to trigger a referendum on the question: "Should the Government of Alberta end its current practice of allocating public funds to accredited independent (private) schools?"

Alberta currently provides 70 percent of the per-student funding to independent schools compared to public schools, the highest rate of private school subsidization in Canada. This comes as Alberta’s public schools, including those within the Calgary Board of Education, grapple with significant financial pressures. CBE trustees recently approved a 2025/26 budget with "hesitation and frustration," highlighting that the province is not providing adequate funding for its growing student population, which exceeds 140,000. Critics argue that redirecting these funds could alleviate issues like classroom overcrowding and the need for more student supports in the public system.

However, Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides has expressed concerns, suggesting that ending this funding would place "massive pressure" on the public system by forcing tens of thousands of students to seek alternative programming. Others argue that independent schools offer vital choices for families, particularly those with children requiring specialized learning needs, and that partial public funding makes these options accessible to middle and lower-income households.

For Calgary families navigating school choices and budget constraints, the petition represents a direct engagement with a long-standing debate over equitable education funding. Volunteers are crucial to amplify the cause, and those interested in supporting the initiative can find more information at abfundspublicschools.ca. This petition directly impacts the future of education for all Calgary students.