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). 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: 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.
