Students have faced a challenging year filled with uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic— graduation ceremonies have been cancelled, classrooms have moved online and it is unknown when things will return to normal.
Friday, March 13 was the last day students were able to visit their schools and it is commendable how school divisions and teachers have rallied to help in the transition to online learning.
However, it begs the question of why this same support has not been also offered by Alberta Education when it comes to ensuring stable funding is available for growing school divisions.
In February, Alberta’s education minister Adriana LaGrange said the previous funding model was not sustainable because funding had jumped 80 per cent since 2004, while inflation rose 33 per cent and enrolment rose 25 per cent.
The province said that education funding will be held at $8.223 billion, and any shortfalls in the classroom or supports could be covered through schools board reserves or administrative efficiencies.
Rocky View Schools approved their 2020-21 budget on Thursday (May 21) and it could be argued the new provincial funding model does not support student education in growing divisions.
The new Weighted Moving Average formula is centred the average number of students in a division over the course of three years— 50 per cent based on how many kids are expected to move into a division, 30 per cent based on the number of current students and 20 per cent based on the number of students in the previous year.
Enrolment in Rocky View Schools is expected to increase by 3.9 per cent, about 857 students, and operational funding from the government is only increasing by 1.3 per cent.
“For a rapidly growing school division like Rocky View the formula does not work in our favour, the Weighted Moving Average means that we’re going to have more students and some of those students we’re not getting the base instruction grants for,” superintendent Greg Luterbach said. “It is certainly challenging for Rocky View.”
Rocky View Schools rose to the challenge of the new formula, redirecting funds and using $1.3 million in operational reserves to support classroom instruction, limit fee increases to parents and balance the budget.
It was necessary to draw from these reserves, Luterbach said, because the provincial and student fees did not match the funds needed to provide services in the school division.
It should be noted that Rocky View Schools was able to maintain classroom sizes and bring in more teachers for the coming school year while contending with this reduction in funds.
Students need support from their families, community and province now more than ever as they face an uncertain future, providing equal access to education and school funding is one way the province can show Alberta pupils and their potential is valued.
The Rocky View Schools budget can serve as an indicator that the province may need to go back to the drawing board to ensure the best funding for education is available for Alberta students.
Students are the future of our province, and if we hope to see them thrive and make the world better the first step is ensuring funding is available to ensure their classroom needs are met.
Alberta Education needs to do better.
