Back to school. Back to more.

  • Posted: September 2, 2026

Back to school. Back to more. | De retour à l’école… et à beaucoup plus.
With record funding for more teachers, supports and classroom space, students and families can look forward to more this school year.

Alberta’s government is welcoming students back to school with a record $10.8 billion in education funding for more teachers, in-class supports and classroom space. This is a more than seven per cent funding increase and a response to unprecedented growth, with almost 90,000 new students entering schools in just four years.

“Parents and teachers told us more was needed to support our world-class education system, and we listened. I am proud to say that more support is coming this school year – giving students the resources they need to succeed and giving teachers the support they need to do what they do best.”Danielle Smith, Premier

Targeting support where it is needed most

Following a provincewide data collection from 108,000 classrooms in fall 2025, Alberta’s government is targeting investments to reduce class sizes and bring more supports directly into classrooms.

As part of these investments, $218 million is being provided to school boards to create 699 complexity teams, 566 of which are already operational. These teams are composed of teachers and educational assistants and may also include support from specialized professionals such as behavioural therapists and speech-language pathologists. They work directly alongside teachers, helping them manage complex classrooms and diverse student needs. An additional $25 million is supporting training and increased access to specialized supports and services for students in rural and remote areas.

This represents 566 new teacher and 1,044 new educational assistant hires, with additional hiring anticipated throughout the school year.

“Back to school means more support for Alberta students. With record education funding, more teachers, more educational assistants, more in-class supports and more classroom space, we’re ensuring students have the resources they need to succeed. We know there is more work ahead, but families will see the difference these historic investments are making in classrooms across Alberta.”Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare

A $200-million Class Size Reduction Grant announced in May is also supporting additional teacher hiring throughout the province. Reports indicate that school boards have hired 1,090 new K to 9 teachers to start the school year, providing students more of the focused time and attention they need. This grant will support further teacher hiring throughout the school year.

In total, there have been 2,127 teachers hired, with 471 teachers recruited in 2025-26, outside of the complexity team hires.

“At the heart of every education investment is a student – and a future waiting to unfold. This investment means more support, more individual attention and more opportunities for students to succeed. When we invest in our classrooms, we invest in our children, our communities and Alberta’s future.”Lory Iovinelli, chair, Calgary Catholic School District

Building and renovating schools

To get more student spaces opened as quickly as possible, Alberta’s government is accelerating new school builds and renovations throughout the province.

The $8.6-billion Schools Now program launched in September 2024 has resulted in 17 completed school projects – creating 11,874 new and renovated student spaces – 85 new project approvals and 74 project accelerations, saving as much as a full school year on construction timelines. There are now 156 active school projects underway in the province, with more to come.

To address immediate space constraints, Alberta’s government is allocating $200 million this year to deliver about 5,900 student spaces through 194 new modular classrooms, seven replacements and 35 relocations. This builds on the government’s $100-million investment into modulars in 2025-26, which has resulted in almost 100 modular classrooms throughout the province – and more than 3,100 student spaces.  

“The benefits of the Classroom Complexity and Class Size Reduction Grants are clear. Through smaller classes where space is available or additional teaching support in schools facing enrolment pressures, students receive more individualized support, and teachers are better able to meet diverse learning needs. We appreciate the Government of Alberta’s investment in education.”Sandra Palazzo, chair, Edmonton Catholic Schools

These investments are just part of the province’s overall investment in education this year. Albertans are invited to visit alberta.ca/BackToMore to learn more about what’s new this school year.

Quick facts

  • The 17 school projects completed through Schools Now include 9,388 new student spaces and 2,486 renovated spaces, for a total of 11,874 spaces.
    • Two gym projects have also been completed.
  • In total 2,127 net new teachers have been hired:
    • 566 teachers hired through complexity teams
    • 1,090 hired through the class size reduction grant
    • 471 teachers hired through general hiring in the 2025-2026 school year
  • 1,044 net new educational assistants have been hired – all through complexity team funding.
  • A total of $498 million to support class size and classroom complexity includes:
    • $200 million Class Size Reduction Grant to hire 1,400 K-9 teachers.
    • $75 million for 223 new complexity teams, including 160 for grades 7-12 and 63 new K-6 teams; $25 million for targeted supports such as training, capacity building and increasing access in rural and remote areas.
    • $55 million to continue the province’s Classroom Complexity Grant.
    • $143 million announced in February 2026 to support up to 476 complexity teams.