$411 million needed for students and schools ASBA tells Learning Commission
Release date: December 17, 2002
"Money talks, and to meet the needs of all Alberta's students – the government must invest an extra $411 million annually in the public education system" said Alberta School Boards Association President Michele Mulder when she presented the ASBA's submission to Alberta's Commission on Learning December 17.
"While Alberta's public education system has many strengths, this submission identifies areas where extra money is needed so that we can truly give all students a topnotch education:
- $142.4 million to bridge the gap between provincial funding for teacher salary increases and the raise imposed by the arbitrator
- $130.4 million to make up the difference between what school boards spend on serving students with special needs and the government funding we get
- $78.5 million to cover the shortfall between what school boards spend to give students the technology they need in the 21st century and the funding the government provides
- $59.8 million to keep classrooms lit, warm and comfortable for the students who work in them."
The ASBA call for a funding increase topped the recommendations in the 58-page report (PDF–683K). Other key recommendations include:
- Give students living in poverty – and facing other challenges – seamless access to the early intervention and out-of-school programs they need to succeed in school. "These children need help, long before they come to Kindergarten. Think of it like a relay race, as members of a team working for children, we must not drop the baton for these children if we want them to succeed in school," said Mulder.
- Change the School Act so school boards can levy up to 3 per cent of their total budget annually, without a plebiscite. Change the School Act to make it more like the Municipal Government Act, which gives city and town councils more freedom to make decisions. "These changes will reinforce Albertans' influence in local decision-making about schools and public education and this will translate into local schools which better reflect the unique needs and strengths of the communities they serve," said Mulder.
- Recognizing the essential role professional teachers fulfill in the public education system, the ASBA is seeking to enshrine a full and complete description of the professional role of teachers in legislation. "Without teachers, we can do absolutely nothing in public education," said Mulder.
"Like every parent in this province, school boards want only the best for the children they serve," said Mulder. "Guided by the Vision for Public Education, which we developed with the Alberta Teachers' Association and our other partners in education, school boards want to make the dream we articulated in the Vision, Educate every child well – a reality. The changes we are proposing will take us closer to achieving this dream.".
For more information contact: Michele Mulder, President, ASBA at 1.780.482.7311 (office) or 1.780.679.5627(cell).
The Alberta School Boards Association serves and represents all Alberta’s public, separate and francophone school boards.
