Seven months after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made history by announcing the $8.6 billion School Construction Accelerator Program, independent schools are still waiting for action. Since the September announcement, schools have yet to see a dollar. The premier’s pilot project to fund some of the capital costs of independent schools was a North American first. If it becomes a reality, it would cement Alberta’s status as the most education-innovative province. It’s time for the provincial government to put its promise into action.
The vast majority of independent schools have seen exponential growth in recent years; they’re already full, and many have long waitlists. The province had promised pilot program details in the 2025 budget, so schools made plans over the winter. Schools with projects already in the works saw a way to fast-track new builds or expansions. Schools that had thought expansion impossible suddenly saw a path to accommodate their entire waitlist.
Sadly, Budget 2025 in February included no funding, no details, and no new timeline for this pilot project. To say schools were disappointed would be an understatement. Independent schools have since been reassured that the program remains under development and details are forthcoming.
This is good news—but the sooner the better.
The current delay is an enormous missed opportunity for Alberta students. Independent schools contribute enormously to our province: they meet community needs (like Janus Academy, which exclusively serves students with autism, and Foothills Academy, with programming for students with learning disabilities); they provide a breadth of educational options (including Headway School, providing Sikh education; and LYNX, offering nature-based programming); and they save a lot of taxpayer dollars. The Association of Independent Schools & Colleges of Alberta (AISCA) estimates that the taxpayers have saved $825 million on just per-student funding in the last five years.
In times of crisis, like the ongoing crowding concerns across Alberta, independent schools are even more crucial to the province’s education system. Unburdened by the bureaucratic processes of public school boards, independent schools can plan, design, and build in record time. That means more spaces for more students faster.
Equally importantly, these schools fundraise. Schools aren’t looking for a handout; they’re interested in a partnership. Currently, schools finance all their capital costs through various means, including tuition, fundraisers, and generous donors. The government should see expanding independent schools as a good investment, because the school communities can and will match provincial funding.
Who benefits the most from these investments? Contrary to popular myths, it’s not rich families. Cardus research found that independent school families are hard-working, sacrificial, and working-class. They are highly likely to be teachers, farmers, and nurses. Nearly 90 percent of families make financial sacrifices to prioritize the cost of their children’s school, and they are more likely to earn less than $90,000 annually—far below the provincial median income of $108,760. These parents are already paying for school twice: through their taxes for neighbourhood schools—which their kids don’t attend—plus through tuition.
Myths about independent schools dividing society don’t hold up either. Independent school parents are 40 percent more likely to be involved in organizations or associations in their community and are the most civically-engaged Albertans. Nearly 86 percent vote in every election, which is far higher than the turnout (59.5 percent) in Alberta’s 2023 vote. These parents are not choosing independent schools for their Harvard-prep programs, but instead because they offer a supportive and nurturing environment.
Independent schools are sitting on thousands of “seats” worth of building and expansion plans. An AISCA survey of its members indicated that 95 schools or programs were interested in building or growth—and that these schools could open up 15,000 new student spaces across the province. That doesn’t even include dozens of additional schools in the start-up process, which would offer more new spaces to ease crowding and further taxpayer savings.
Independent schools are vital to Alberta’s education system. Investing in capital funding would offer practical and financial benefits to every Albertan. The promise has been made, the rationale is clear, and the impact is gigantic. Independent school students are Albertans, too; let’s see a robust capital funding pilot project implemented ASAP.
