We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge the Government of Alberta to address the pressing infrastructure crisis currently affecting public education, despite what you proposed in the most recent provincial budget. 

We are asking for more than a drop in the bucket. 

BACKGROUND:

Our schools are struggling with overcrowding, lottery entry requirements, long bus rides, limited programming choices, and barriers preventing many students from attending their community schools. This crisis stems from the rapid growth in the province; for example in the Edmonton Public School Division we are adding approximately 5,000 students per year. Clearly, the current infrastructure spending is not keeping up with community growth.

Key Issues:

1. Overcrowded Classrooms: Class sizes are ballooning, with some divisions experiencing class sizes as high as 37 in grades K-3 to 56 students in high school classes.
2. Looming Space Shortages: The Edmonton Public School Board is projected to exhaust high school space by 2027 and run out of space across all grades by 2030.
3. Funding Shortfall: The current weighted moving average funding model, based on outdated estimates of student enrolment, leaves many students unfunded. In the 2023-2024 school year alone, there was a 7% shortfall in funded students in the Edmonton Division.
4. Deferred Maintenance Crisis: As an example, the Edmonton Public School Division is anticipating deferred maintenance costs to reach $1 billion by 2027, with schools averaging up to $13K in deferred maintenance per student.
5. Outdated Infrastructure: The average age of an Edmonton Public School is 52 years, with 53% of schools built before 1971. 

Call to Action:

We demand immediate action to address these issues. Specifically, we call on the Alberta Government to:

1. Increase Funding: Implement a funding model that accurately reflects current student enrolment and provides adequate resources to support our schools.
2. Prioritize Maintenance: Allocate consistent funding resources to address the backlog of deferred maintenance and ensure the safety and functionality of existing school infrastructure.
3. Accelerate School Construction: Streamline the process for building new schools and allocate sufficient capital funding to meet the growing demand. We ask that all year-one critical projects from public school boards across the province be immediately approved. Specifically, the Edmonton Public School Board's capital funding priority list will create 7265 much needed spaces.

Join Us:

This situation is not unique to Edmonton, Public School Boards across the province are struggling with meeting the needs of students in their divisions. We invite all concerned citizens to join us in advocating for better funding and infrastructure for our public schools. Together, we can ensure that every student has access to a quality education in a safe and supportive environment.

Find out more at: www.epscnetwork.com