Budget 2011

Budget 2011 and Business Plan (2011-14)

Update on additional $107 million
Learn more about the $107 million in funding for Education in Alberta

Highlights of the budget include:

Budget 2011 focuses on core educational supports and laying the groundwork for an inclusive education system.

  • Investment in Alberta’s ECS (Early Childhood Services) to Grade 12 education system reaches $6.4 billion (including education property tax for opted out school boards) - an operating increase of $258 million or 4.4 per cent over the previous year. Budget 2011:
    • Provides school boards with the announced grant rate increases for the remainder of the 2010/11 school year.
    • Honours government’s commitment to fund teachers’ salary increases.
    • Provides funding for Early Childhood Services programs for a growing number children with disabilities/delays.

 

  • Under Budget 2011, government will invest $32 million in students every school day.
  • Over 10 years, funding to the education system has increased by 63 per cent while student enrolment has increased by three per cent.

          

Funding supports under Budget 2011 include:

  • Small Class Size Initiative - $228 million - Funding totals adjusted in the new school year will focus on maintaining a lower class size at the Kindergarten to Grade 3 level. Education continues to allocate enhanced funding levels for specific Career and Technology Studies courses to address safety and teacher/student ratios.

    ECS to Grade 9 Funding Rates - per student

    Grades Base Rate Class Size Base Rate  New Basic Student Grant
    ECS $3,244 $  708.90 $3,952.90
    Grades 1-3 $6,488.01 $ 1,417.80 $7,905.81
    Grades 4-6 $6,488.01 $    - $6,488.01
    Grades 7-9 $6,488.01 $    - $6,488.01

    High School Funding Rates for the 2011/12 school year - per Credit Enrolment Unit (CEU)

                 CEU Base Rate CEU Class Size Base Rate CEU Tiered Rate
    Tier 1 $185.37 $  - $185.37
    Tier 2   $ 11.95 $197.32
    Tier 3   $ 33.70 $219.07

  • Severe disabilities and an inclusive education system - $282 million - Support increases $12 million or 4.4%. The additional funding is intended to support building an inclusive education system where all students belong and receive a quality education regardless of their ability, disability, language, cultural background, gender or age.
  • English as a Second Language – Francisation - $77.5 million - Support increases by $8 million or 11% to accommodate the growing number of students who need additional supports to increase fluency in English or French and do better in school.
  • Student Health Initiative - $49 million - To increase access to specialized support services for students, such as speech-language pathologists or audiologists.
  • Alberta Initiative for School Improvement - $56 million - Supports local projects that help student learning. AISI is a significant program in Alberta and is valued for its innovative work and contributions to the transformation of education.
  • Private Schools and Private Pre-School Operators - $178 million - 4.4% increase in base instruction and class size grants for the 2011/2012 school year.
  • Funded Student Enrolment - Student enrolment is expected to increase by 1.1 per cent or by 6,100 students for the 2011/2012 school year.

    School Type

    		2010/2011Funded
    Students K-12    		 % of Student Population
    Public School System 534,664 96%
    Private School System
    (private schools and private
    pre-school operators)    		 23,809 4%
    Total Funded Students 558,473 100%

  • School infrastructure - $288 million - To support completion of existing capital projects as part of $702 million to support ministry’s Three-Year Capital Plan.
  • Infrastructure Maintenance and Renewal (IMR) - $96 million - To maintain safe and healthy school facilities.
  • Plant Operations and Maintenance - $468 million - For the continued operations and maintenance of school buildings.
  • Teachers’ Pension Plan – $299 million – Increase of 10.3 per cent. Contributions made by the Government of Alberta on behalf of teachers for current service increases by $28 million. This does not include $451 million within Alberta Finance and Enterprise’s budget for pre-1992 service.
  • Transportation – $260 million - Funding increase of $2 million for the 2011/2012 school year to address to address the challenges of transporting students in sparsely populated rural areas.

 

Grants reduced/eliminated:

Although some grants will be reduced or eliminated, Education is honouring its commitments for the remainder of the 2010/11 school year and putting resources where they can be most effective to make the biggest difference in the education of Alberta’s children.

Relative Cost of Purchasing Goods and Services Adjustment (RCPA) – Funding will be sustained at the current level for the remainder of the 2010/2011 school year, but will be reduced in the 2011/2012 school year and eliminated for the 2012/2013 school year. This grant was not intended to address the higher cost faced by northern school boards as these are addressed in the Northern Allowance allocation.

Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) - Funding will be sustained at the current level for the remainder of the 2010/11 school year, but will be reduced by 50 per cent as of Sept. 1, 2011. AISI is a significant program in Alberta and is valued for its innovative work and contributions to the transformation of education. However, funding at current levels cannot be supported in Budget 2011.

Stabilization - Funding will be sustained at the current level for the remainder of the 2010/2011 school year, but will be reduced in the 2011/2012 school year and eliminated for the 2012/2013 school year. The principles of the Funding Framework are sound and the Ministry has moved away from providing transitional funding when changes are made to the funding formulas.  The elimination of this grant would support this practice.

Enrolment Growth/ Decline – Funding will be sustained for the remainder of the school year for the 2010/2011 school year, but will be eliminated effective September 1, 2011 will be eliminated for the 2011/2012 school year. The need for this funding has been reduced as the Workforce Planning Enrolment model is available to jurisdictions.  The model should allow boards to project enrolment increases and decreases and plan accordingly without supplemental funding.

Enhanced ESL and Enhance Francisation - Funding will be sustained for the remainder of the school year for the 2010/2011 school year, but will be eliminated effective September 1, 2011 will be eliminated for the 2011/2012 school year. School boards have had many years experience to incorporate efficiencies and best practices into their regular programming for ESL students.  These efficiencies and the continuation of the regular ESL and Francisation grants will mitigate the impact of discontinuing this enhanced ESL and Enhanced Francisation grant.

Intra-Jurisdiction Distance - Funding will be sustained for the remainder of the school year for the 2010/2011 school year, but will be eliminated effective September 1, 2011 will be eliminated for the 2011/2012 school year.The provision of video-conferencing suites to boards and the availability of other technologies has minimized the travel cost of operating schools and educating students in more than one community and over significant distances.

Budget 2011 Government of Alberta information

Education Business Plan and Action Agenda

The Education 2011-14 Business Plan is available online at is considerably shorter than in previous years. Government has made changes to business plans, resulting in a more streamlined document that is centred on the requirements laid out in the Government Accountability Act. The business plan is also more strategic, focused on the goals, priority initiatives and measures of the ministry. The number of measures appearing in the plan has been reduced and focuses on key outcomes. However, all of our measures will continue to be reported and shared with you and the public through our annual report and the ministry website.

To illustrate how our business plan supports the informed transformation of the education system we have created the 2011-14 Alberta Education Action Agenda, a companion document to the business plan.  The Action Agenda describes a collaborative approach to change and articulates the vision and values that will guide the ministry and the entire education sector as we engage with Albertans in that change effort. The Action Agenda also elaborates on strategic directions for the future of ECS - 12 education and provides additional information on the goals and priority initiatives in the Business Plan, including descriptions of the “Action On” initiatives that form the building blocks for change.

Education Initiatives:

New schools
This past September, 18 new schools opened in Edmonton and Calgary under government’s Alberta Schools Alternative Procurement (ASAP) Phase I project, providing more than 12,000 new student spaces. Under ASAP Phase II, 14 new schools for the Edmonton and Calgary regions will provide almost 13,000 additional new student spaces. Currently, there are 59 approved school capital projects in various stages of construction or completion throughout the province, including new and replacement schools as well as modernizations and additions to existing schools.

Northland School Division
Northland’s Community Engagement Team is being appointed to provide strategic advice, direction and leadership in securing community engagement in NSD. The team will work with ministry, cross-ministry and NSD staff to maximize the level of community engagement necessary to ensure the success of all students. Alberta Education and Northland are already developing and implementing solutions to meet many of the challenges identified in the report. For more information, visit www.education.alberta.ca/media/6389559/nsdreportformatted.pdf.

First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Education
The Memorandum of Understanding on First Nations Education provides a common vision for strengthening learning and educational success for First Nation students residing on reserve in Alberta and supporting band-operated on-reserve schools, with a goal of closing the gap in education achievement and attainment between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. For more on FNMI education initiatives, visit www.education.alberta.ca/teachers/fnmi.aspx.

Action on Inclusion
Alberta Education is committed to an inclusive education system for all children and youth regardless of their ability or disability, language, cultural background, gender, age or socio-economic status, and where each student experiences success. Action on Inclusion is being implemented gradually under the leadership of Education, Children and Youth Services and Health and Wellness.

Speak Out – Alberta Student Engagement Initiative
Launched in 2008, Alberta Education has heard from thousands of students about their perspectives on education through the Speak Out website, student forums, the annual conference and the Minister of Education’s Student Advisory Council. Several common issues have emerged around improving student-teacher interaction, student preparation for their futures, alternative evaluation and testing methods and creating a more personalized and healthy learning environment. Detailed analysis of what students are saying about education can be found at http://speakout.alberta.ca.

Early Child Development (ECD) Mapping Initiative
The (ECD) Mapping Initiative is a five-year, province-wide research project. The project will look at factors that may influence healthy child development by collecting and analyzing data related to early childhood development. Maps and reports on the data will be created and used to support communities and families to ensure all children have the best possible start in life.  For more information, visit www.ecdmapping.alberta.ca.

Career specialists enter the classroom
Students enrolled in Career and Technology Studies (CTS) will benefit from a program that will allow certified specialists to work in the classroom while completing a teacher-preparation program offered by an Alberta post-secondary institution. The CTS Bridge to Teacher Certification Program addresses the need for qualified, technical career specialists such as certified journey people, health-care professionals and information technologists, to pursue a career in the teaching profession.