New schools to serve rural Albertans included in Budget 2025

The United Conservative government says Budget 2025 will solve some of the challenges faced by rural Albertans. (Pexels/RDNE Stock project)

The Alberta government said it is building nine new schools in rural areas of the province, part of multi-year, multi-billion-dollar campaign that’s part of the United Conservative Party government’s plan to tackle unprecedented population growth.

Officials announced Friday that Budget 2025, if passed, will allocate funding to build schools in rural communities, including Lethbridge, Brooks, Fairview, Muskiki Lake and Cold Lake.

The budget also includes funding to modernize two schools; Brooks Composite High School in Brooks (design funding) and Fort McMurray’s École Dickinsfield School (planning funding).

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Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, in a statement, says the commitment will help address the challenges rural communities face when it comes to education.

“While some schools in rural Alberta are getting older and need to be modernized or replaced, other communities are experiencing growing enrolment,” he said.

“I’m proud to say our Budget 2025 commitment addresses both challenges.”

The other school projects include:

• A new addition to Grande Prairie Composite High School in Grande Prairie (design funding);
• A new addition to Holy Trinity Catholic High School, a Grade 7 to 12 school in Fort McMurray (design funding);
• A new Grade 9 to 12 school for the Christ the Redeemer Catholic School board in Brooks (planning funding);
• A new Kindergarten to Grade 5 school for the Lethbridge School Division in Lethbridge (planning funding);
• A replacement school for Art Smith Aviation Academy, North Star Elementary School and Cold Lake Junior High in Cold Lake (planning funding);
• A replacement school for St. Thomas More School in Fairview (planning funding); and
• A replacement school for Kisiko Awasis Kiskinahamawin in Muskiki Lake.

If all these schools are successfully completed, they will provide space for approximately 7,600 students.

Officials say Budget 2025 will fund 41 new school projects, consisting of 30 new schools, five replacement schools, three modernizations and three charter school projects.

Updated details on school projects in the metro Edmonton and Calgary areas will be shared in the coming days, the province said.