The Autism Centre of Excellence school is moving to the planning phase. But not all parents are happy

Edmonton Public Schools is planning a dedicated school for students with autism they say will offer an enhanced learning environment and increase capacity, but which some parents and advocates warn is a setback for education.

The Autism Centre of Excellence school received planning funding from the province last December and was approved in the 2026-29 capital plan at Tuesday's school board meeting. 

The idea is to convert an existing school site into a space dedicated to providing support for the division's growing number of autistic students. 

It would include learning environments tailored to autistic students, increased capacity for support, enhanced programming and training, and a student transition hub, a report tabled Tuesday says.

But parents of kids with disabilities, like Nicole Renaud and Rajesh Kumar, are worried it creates a segregated system. 

"Disabled students are just beginning to recover from a nine-week targeted exclusion from EPSB schools," Renaud said at the meeting, referring to students who were asked to stay home during the recent support worker strike. 

"And now EPSB is looking for ways to segregate disabled students further as a priority in their planning."

About 40 per cent of autistic students enrol in specialized interactions programming, a style of education designed to improve communication, social interaction and behaviour while developing academic skills.

The other 60 per cent are integrated into regular classrooms. 

But Kumar said parents are increasingly being pushed away from the integrated model and told they will get better support in the interactions program. 

Kumar is worried the new school will further incentivize under-resourcing at neighbourhood schools.

"I know many parents like me are not being heard. We are looking to see the division deliver the support teachers need to provide an inclusive education," Kumar said.

Kumar and advocates from Inclusion Alberta said integrated classrooms provide the best outcomes for disabled students.

"Segregated schools for students with disabilities are neither new nor innovative," Inclusion Alberta director Philip Ney told the meeting.

"Such schools were created because students with disabilities were long denied their right to a public education."

Superintendent Darrel Robertson said their model has shown success, but acknowledged the division doesn't have all the answers.

"We don't have everything figured out in terms of supporting all of our children to be successful," Robertson said. 

"And I'm not sure there is a school division in the world that does."

Over the past six years, 75 per cent of all new classes established by EPSB have been dedicated to the interactions program, the report says.

The new school would allow the division to address that growth, and also provides parent choice, Robertson said.

"Planning funding for an Autism Centre of Excellence gives us an opportunity to dream a little bit about what could be," Robertson said.

"It's not meant to provide a segregation model in the school division for children on the spectrum." 

He said the only person who can direct a student placement is the superintendent — and that direction is only given in exceptional circumstances.

Robertson said there are more than 3,000 autistic students in the school division. There are about 120,000 students in the total school population. 

"We're willing to roll up our sleeves and we want to support and love and care for our kids in the best way possible," Robertson said.

Saadiq Sumar, the trustee for Ward G, voted against the motion because of concerns raised by parents and advocates. 

"Given the comments from some of the speakers I have doubts," Sumar said. 

He noted the plan had to be submitted to the province that day, and already had funding allocated to it, leaving little room for amendments.

"I think the intention behind this is good, but sometimes where good intentions can lead is not always where we want to be."