Alberta government promises 14 new school projects in Edmonton area

The provincial government wants to kick-start 14 new school construction projects in the Edmonton area, including planning funding for six new high school buildings.

The announcement comes as the city's two largest school divisions predict that without new buildings, public schools will be out of space by 2027, and Catholic schools could be crammed by 2029.

"Whether it's parents, teachers, school boards or anybody in the Edmonton area generally, we've heard there's a significant need for more school space, primarily high school space," Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said in an interview with CBC. 

Edmonton's public and Catholic school boards have warned for years they would not have the buildings to accommodate a demographic bulge of students rolling toward high school. Population growth in the city and surrounding areas intensified the pressure in all grades.

Three new anglophone high schools have opened within city limits during the last four years, and two more are under construction.

• New high school opens in southeast Edmonton

Ohpaho Secondary School opened in Leduc last fall, and in October, the province approved construction funding for a replacement high school in Spruce Grove.

However, Edmonton Catholic high schools are already out of space, and Edmonton public schools will have more senior students than spaces by next fall, projections suggest.

To be approved for design funding is an addition to Dr. Anne Anderson High School, which opened in September 2021. The $19-million addition would accommodate 600 more students when complete.

Should the provincial budget pass as drafted, school divisions will receive planning funding for new Catholic and public high schools in the fast-growing bedroom community of Beaumont.

Edmonton Public Schools could begin planning new schools, including a 2,400-pupil high school in north Edmonton's Castle Downs area and a high school for about 1,500 students in The Grange, in west Edmonton.

Edmonton Catholic Schools could plan a west Edmonton high school in Lewis Farms and a southeast Edmonton high school in the Meadows. The board plans to open both buildings for 1,800 students with the ability to tack on additions that would expand capacity to 2,400.

Here's a complete list of proposed projects:

• Addition to Dr. Anne Anderson High School for 600 more students, Edmonton Public Schools, design funding.
• A new K-to-6 school in Hawks Ridge, Edmonton Public Schools, design funding.
• A new Catholic high school in Beaumont, St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Schools, planning funding.
• A new public high school in Beaumont, Black Gold School division, planning funding.
• A new high school in Castle Downs, Edmonton Public Schools, planning funding.
• A new high school in The Grange, Edmonton Public Schools, planning funding.
• A new elementary school in Silver Berry, Edmonton Public Schools, planning funding.
• A new high school in Lewis Farms, Edmonton Catholic Schools, planning funding.
• A new high school in The Meadows, Edmonton Catholic Schools, planning funding.
• A new francophone K-6 school in Haddow/Henderson, Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord, planning funding.
• A new K-9 school in St. Albert's Chérot neighbourhood, St. Albert Public Schools, planning funding.
• A replacement school for École Morinville Public School, pre-K-4, Sturgeon Public Schools, design funding.
• A replacement school for St. Lucy Elementary and Katherine Therrien schools in northwest Edmonton. The replacement K-9 school would be to the west in The Palisades/Oxford area. Edmonton Catholic Schools, planning funding.
• Acquisition and modernization of property leased by the charter school Edmonton Classical Academy for K-12 students, design funding.

As in previous announcements of new projects destined for Calgary and other Alberta communities, this year's proposed budget only includes money for design and planning of newly announced projects, which is substantially cheaper than construction.

The province has changed the timing of project approvals, and will green-light construction of an already-planned project when it's ready for the next stage, rather than waiting for the next budget year.

The 41 new projects included in the 2025 budget are part of the $8.6-billion school construction accelerator program, which Premier Danielle Smith announced in September 2024. She promised to start construction of 90 new schools, modernize or replace up to 24 schools and double the amount of charter school space within four to seven years.

Nicolaides said the timeline for shovels hitting dirt in each project differs. High school projects may need more planning work, but some projects announced Wednesday should be ready to begin construction within about a year, he said.

Typically, construction of Alberta elementary-junior high schools takes about two years, and construction of a high school takes about three years.

Nicolaides acknowledged the province's finances are at the whim of global forces, but said the school needs are a priority.

"I'm hopeful that we can move these projects forward irrespective of what happens with global macroeconomic conditions and tariffs and other situations," he said.

A remodelling of Edmonton Classical Academy was chosen for funding because it's an economical way of creating more student spaces in a charter school that's in high demand, Nicolaides said.

"It also comes back to the importance of creating a model that supports parental choice," he said. "This is the responsibility of government — to make sure that there are a variety of educational options and opportunities out there."

Finance Minister Nate Horner could table the budget bill in the legislature for debate as soon as next week.