The Alberta government announced record education funding for the 2026-27 school year, with $10.8 billion committed to hire more teachers, reduce class sizes and add in-class supports for students across the province, including Lloydminster families on the Alberta side.
Read more: Edmonton man charged with drug trafficking, banned from Enoch Cree Nation
The funding represents a more than seven per cent increase over the previous year, according to a provincial release issued as students return to classrooms this week.
“Parents and teachers told us more was needed to support our world-class education system, and we listened,” the province said in the release. “I am proud to say that more support is coming this school year – giving students the resources they need to succeed and giving teachers the support they need to do what they do best.”
Complexity teams operational in classrooms
The province is directing $218 million to create 699 complexity teams in school boards, 566 of which are already operational. The teams are composed of teachers and educational assistants and may include support from behavioural therapists and speech-language pathologists.
The teams work directly alongside classroom teachers to manage complex classrooms and diverse student needs, according to the province.
An additional $25 million is supporting training and increased access to specialized supports and services for students in rural and remote areas.
The complexity team funding represents 566 new teacher hires and 1,044 new educational assistant hires, with additional hiring anticipated throughout the school year.
Class size reduction grant adds teachers
A $200-million Class Size Reduction Grant announced in May is supporting additional teacher hiring throughout the province. School boards have hired 1,090 new kindergarten to Grade 9 teachers to start the school year, providing students more focused time and attention.
The grant will support further teacher hiring throughout the school year, the province said.
In total, 2,127 teachers have been hired under the combined funding initiatives.
Response to unprecedented growth
The funding increase comes as Alberta schools have added nearly 90,000 new students in just four years, according to provincewide data collected from 108,000 classrooms in fall 2025.
“Back to school means more support for Alberta students,” the province said in the release. “With record education funding, more teachers, more educational assistants, more in-class supports and more classroom space, we’re ensuring students have the resources they need to succeed.”
The province acknowledged more work lies ahead, but said families will see the difference the investments are making in classrooms across Alberta.
Alberta’s education investments in recent years have included mental health education supports and new school construction in growing communities.
Lloydminster sits in both Alberta and Saskatchewan, with students attending schools governed by either province’s education systems depending on their address. The Alberta-side funding applies to families and schools in the city’s Alberta portion.
Read more: Parkinson’s pedestrians participate in Step’n’Stride
