March 31, 2025

Stronger Together: Ensuring Every Student Thrives Through Fair Funding

One of the greatest hurdles public schools across Alberta face is the increasing competition for funding. While both public schools and charter schools aim to provide quality education, public schools are uniquely responsible for serving every child—regardless of ability, background, or circumstance.

This financial strain impacts everything from classroom sizes to extracurricular programs, teacher and support staff salaries, and facility maintenance. Public schools are expected to do more with less, stretching every dollar to ensure our students receive the high-quality education they deserve. Meanwhile, charter schools operate with fewer accountability measures, sometimes closing abruptly and leaving families scrambling for alternatives. When this happens, public schools step in and welcome those students, once again proving to be the support line of education options in our communities.

This is why it is critical that we, as a collective voice, advocate for fair funding policies. We must level the playing field. Public schools cannot—and should not—be left to compete for the essential resources needed to serve our students effectively. We must continue to engage with policymakers, community leaders, and families to emphasize the importance of equitable funding for our schools. Every child that walks through our doors deserves access to a well-funded, high-quality public education, regardless of whether they attend a school in a small rural district or a growing urban community.

Adequate funding is not just about keeping our schools running—it is about ensuring that every student, has the tools to succeed. Students with disabilities require specialized programs, individualized instruction, and support services that cannot exist without proper funding. Gifted students need opportunities to be challenged, English language learners need dedicated resources, while other students need interventions that help them reach their full potential. When funding is diverted away from public school education, it is these students who suffer the most. If we want all children to thrive, we must prioritize fair and equitable funding that gives every student, in every classroom, the chance to succeed. We must level the playing field.

Despite these challenges, I remain optimistic. Every day, I see the incredible work being done in our classrooms—the creativity of our teachers, the resilience of our students, and the dedication of our administrators and staff. I have no doubt that by standing together, and advocating for the needs of our public schools, we can ensure a stronger future for public school education.

As always, I want to thank our PSBAA members for your support, your passion, and your commitment to Public school education. Together, we will continue to champion the needs of public education and ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed.

Dennis MacNeil