June 30, 2025

A Year of Commitment and Advocacy for Alberta’s Public Schools

As we reflect on the 2024–25 school year, I want to express deep gratitude to our public school trustees, educators, staff, students and families. Together, we’ve navigated another year marked by rapid change, growing complexity and continued demand on our public education system. Your commitment and resilience are the foundation of Alberta’s public schools.

We acknowledge the Alberta government’s increased investment in education this year. These funds are a welcome step toward addressing inflationary pressures and enrolment growth. However, the reality in our communities is clear: funding is still falling short of what’s needed to meet the demands of unprecedented student growth, increasingly complex classrooms, and the escalating costs of operations and infrastructure.

Throughout the year, the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta (PSBAA) has remained a strong, principled voice in support of a universally accessible, publicly funded education system. We’ve engaged with MLAs, ministers and government officials to advocate for fair, adequate and sustainable funding. We’ve elevated the voices of locally elected trustees and empowered boards to represent their communities’ diverse needs. And we’ve worked to ensure the value of inclusive, community-driven public education is never taken for granted.

At the same time, we’re deeply concerned about the continued diversion of public funds to private and charter schools. This trend fragments the system and reduces the capacity of public schools to serve all children equitably. In a province growing as quickly as Alberta, public schools must be prioritized as the primary vehicle for delivering quality education to every student.

We encourage all Albertans to stay engaged—talk to your MLA, attend school board meetings and speak up in support of your local public schools. Public education is the foundation of a strong, inclusive society, and it thrives when communities stand behind it. Together, we can ensure that every student, in every corner of Alberta, has access to the high-quality education they deserve.

As we look ahead, PSBAA remains unwavering in its mission to promote, elevate and protect public school education. Our collective future depends on it.

Dennis MacNeil