“The budget and Education Plan work together hand-in-hand to create a solid foundation to support each student in learning to their full potential,” said Laura Hack, chair of the Board of Trustees. “The Board recognizes the thoughtful approach taken to strategic planning and developing a sensible financial plan that maximizes dollars to the classroom. We are confident in Administration’s ability to deliver strong student outcomes and system success by acting on the plans approved today.”
The Education Plan sets out areas of focus over a three-year span based on the Board priorities of student achievement, equity and well-being, while the budget aligns services with the funding received from Alberta Education.
Budget 2022-23
The $1.4 billion budget will support the educational experiences of a projected student enrolment of over 126,000 students in schools and unique settings across the city next school year.
Highlights from the 2022-23 budget:
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More money for schools: Even with provincial funding held to 2021-22 levels, the CBE will allocate an additional $4.6 million to schools — including an extra $1.3 million through the Resource Allocation Method, and funds targeted for specific grade levels and additional kindergarten supports.
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Reducing system administration costs: Administration costs are already below the fixed allocation from Alberta Education meaning more funding is available to support CBE priorities.
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Affordability for families: The CBE is holding the line on current fees for student supplies, lunch-hour supervision and student transportation —recognizing that affordability is a key concern for families.
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Optimizing school utilization rate: Schools operating at or above 85 per cent capacity maximizes the operations and maintenance (O&M) portion of Alberta Education grant funding. Next year, the implementation plan to balance high school enrolment will ensure more schools receive the maximum O&M funding.
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Sustainable programming: The sustainability of educational opportunities continues to be a focus. The CBE continues to review its operations to accommodate the cost of enrolment growth and inflationary cost pressures within flat government funding on a year-over-year basis.
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Prudent operating reserves: The current operating reserve levels are within the minimum and maximum set by Alberta Education. Maintaining operating reserves at a responsible level means the CBE will have the means to respond to emergent or unexpected costs in the coming school year.
The budget will now be submitted to Alberta Education in advance of the May 31 deadline.
2021–2024 Education Plan
The CBE is in the second year of the 2021 – 2024 CBE Education Plan. This plan is a direct reflection of priorities identified by the Board of Trustees: achievement, equity and well-being. These priorities are addressed through the goals of learning excellence, people excellence, collaborative partnerships and strategic resourcing.
The goals set the direction for the system as a whole, and work within individual schools, and in service units. Accordingly, the Education Plan connects each employee in the CBE to student success. The work of the Education Plan lives in every school and service unit.
The Education Plan identifies provincial and local measures that will support the system while maintaining focus on being a learning organization that focuses on continuous improvement.
