Lethbridge School Division, ATA react to Budget 2026

By Lethbridge Herald on March 5, 2026.

Herald Photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman The Lethbridge School Division will most likely receive their Budget 2026 allocation in mid March, says associate superintendent of business affairs.

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman

Lethbridge Herald

After having some time to review the Budget 2026 allocation for education, the Lethbridge School Division and the Alberta Teachers’ Association have shared their thoughts on the matter.

The Lethbridge School Division said they welcome the Government of Alberta’s announcement that $10.8 billion will be invested in education for the 2026/2027 school year. But what the dollar figure will ultimately mean for the division is yet to be seen.

Association Superintendent of Business Affairs with the division, Kyle Beauchamp said the division is likely to receive its funding profile sometime in late-March, and at that time they will have further clarity on what Budget 2026 will mean specifically for them.

“Every year, the funding profile delivers the detailed budgeted amounts our division will receive from Alberta Education,” said Beauchamp.

He said until that funding profile is received, it is too early to speculate on how the overall budget could impact specific areas within the division’s budget.

Board Chair Christine Light said the government’s commitment to hiring more than 1,600 teachers and 800 support staff for 2026/2027, along with the announced complexity teams that will be added to the system, is a step forward.

She said classroom complexity is a universal challenge experienced across the province, and the negative impact on students, staff and families of rising complexities without appropriate financial investment to provide the necessary supports students need have been felt deeply within the division.

“This is not a new advocacy point for school divisions, and it will continue to present difficulties for school communities in the years to come,” said Light.

She said predictable and sustainable funding, along with strengthened cross-ministerial collaboration, are essential to finding a successful path.

“We are grateful for the additional funding received in this year’s budget and believe it to be a good first step forward to intentionally addressing these challenges,” said Light.

Alberta Teachers’ Association president, Jason Schilling said the government has recognized that the funding deficit for education could no longer be ignored, and he said it was thanks to the thousands of teachers, parents, and community members who tirelessly advocated over the years.

“In addition to funding the creation of at least 3,000 new full-time teaching positions over the next three years, an additional $300 million has been earmarked to address classroom complexity,” said Schilling.

He said this is a start. However, teachers and students will expect future funding to target the needs of students in Grades 7-12, as well as to expand the number of complexity teams already put in place for K-6.

“None of this will be achieved without bringing new teachers into the profession,” said Schilling. “In this budget, the province will be making targeted investments of $148 million to increase enrolment in high-demand post-secondary programs, including education, which will help address teacher recruitment issues.”

He said despite the positive news for public education, it is disappointing that the government is choosing to significantly increase funding for private schools, particularly when it’s clear that many public schools are still bursting at the seams.

“Unlike ‘programs of choice,’ the public education system is a necessity and must be the sole priority when allocating scarce public funds,” said Schilling.

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