Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): Alberta has one of the fastest-growing francophone and French-speaking populations in Canada. To support the growing number of francophone students in the province, Alberta’s government, through Budget 2025, is investing in new school spaces and increasing grant funding for francophone school boards.
“We’re committed to improving accessibility to francophone education by building more schools now to ensure all francophone students have the resources, spaces and opportunities they need to succeed.”Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education
Budget 2025 is providing funding for a new K-6 school in southwest Edmonton as part of Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord, adding more than 340 student spaces. In Calgary, École de la Rose sauvage, part of the Conseil scolaire FrancoSud, will be renovated for its grades 7-12 students, adding more than 480 student spaces.
These two projects are part of the Alberta government’s $8.6-billion commitment to build more schools now. Once completed, these projects, along with the 13 francophone school projects that are already underway in Alberta, will provide much-needed classroom spaces for francophone students.
“By investing in new schools and increasing funding for francophone education, our government is reaffirming its commitment to strengthening French-speaking families and honouring the important role they play in Alberta’s rich francophone culture and heritage.”Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women
To speed up potential francophone school projects, Alberta’s government is also providing $2 million for the 2025-26 school year for pre-planning activities. These funds are helping francophone school boards explore new school project ideas, potential school locations, classroom layouts and other important elements needed when planning a school project.
“We thank the Government of Alberta for recognizing the unique challenges of francophone education in a minority setting and the growing needs of our communities. FrancoSud warmly welcomes the increase to the Francophone Equivalency Grant and remains committed to working closely with Alberta Education to expedite the infrastructure projects that are currently in the planning and design stages.” Hélène Emmell, chair, Conseil scolaire FrancoSud
Funding boost for francophone education
Alberta’s government is listening to the concerns and challenges facing the province’s francophone community, including the challenge of delivering Alberta’s world-class education in francophone school boards that have lower student populations. To meet this challenge head on, Budget 2025 is increasing the Francophone Equivalency Grant by 25 per cent, from $8.5 million in the 2024-25 school year to $10.6 million in the 2025-26 school year.
“The adjustments to the funding formula, along with the announcement of a new school project, represent a meaningful step forward for francophone education in a minority context. While some challenges persist, these measures reflect increased attentiveness from Alberta Education and a stronger commitment to addressing the realities of our communities.”Étienne Alary, board chair, Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord
Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on supporting the economy.
