One of the major issues at the forefront of the teachers’ strike in Alberta revolves around class sizes, a matter made more challenging by the lack of specific data collection on class sizes by the province.
Previously, Alberta would release annual class size data, providing insights into the number of students in classes across over 1,500 schools statewide.
In 2019, the newly installed UCP government terminated this practice.
Subsequently, the government altered the funding formula for school boards, shifting from annual enrollment-based funding growth to a three-year “weighted moving average” (WMA).
Notably, larger school boards in rapidly growing urban areas expressed dissatisfaction with the new formula introduced in February 2020.
Trisha Estabrooks, former chair of Edmonton Public Schools, voiced concerns at the time, highlighting that the funding model reflected past student numbers, hindering catch-up efforts.
Implementation Amidst Pandemic Impact
The formula change took effect in September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, coinciding with a brief period of declining enrollment followed by a surge in enrollment.
However, due to the formula’s reliance on prior years’ enrollment figures, several school boards received reduced funding compared to what they would have under the previous model.
Yearly grievances about the formula have persisted.
The Elk Island Public Schools authority, based in Sherwood Park, highlighted in a presentation from January 2025 that the WMA model favored school divisions with declining enrollments, disadvantaging those with increasing enrollments.
Quantifying the impact of the new funding formula on class sizes is challenging as the Alberta government ceased collecting class size data the year before introducing the formula change.
Despite this, a rough comparison can still be drawn between the growth of teaching staff and student enrollment post the formula change.
Data Analysis
Annually, the provincial government includes the count of “certificated staff” in its budget documents, offering a gauge of the teaching workforce in the province.
While not perfect, as not all certificated staff are classroom teachers, these figures provide a general overview of how teaching staff growth aligns with enrollment growth statewide. (Enrollment figures are still published annually by the Alberta government.)
Analysis reveals that teacher and student enrollment growth remained closely aligned until around 2021, after which a disparity emerged with enrollment growth surpassing that of teaching staff.
This divergence persisted until the 2025 school year, the latest year with available enrollment data, indicating a consistent trend.
Overall, student enrollment has increased by 15% since 2016-17, while teaching staff growth stood at 8%.
Darryl Hunter, a University of Alberta educational policy studies professor, cautioned that while the data analysis highlights a correlation, establishing causation is a separate matter.
However, school board officials have directly linked the WMA formula to increased class sizes and funding shortfalls in the past.
In 2024, Edmonton Public Schools trustee Dawn Hancock criticized the funding model and called for government intervention.
Subsequently, the government introduced a new two-year weighted average funding formula as part of the 2025-26 budget, aiming to address concerns about the previous three-year model.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides stated that the revised formula would enhance funding responsiveness to urban growth while safeguarding rural schools.
He emphasized that the government’s approach since 2020 offers more flexible funding to school boards, empowering them to make staffing decisions tailored to their schools’ needs without mandatory class size reporting.
Nicolaides cited a previous $3.4-billion grant targeting class size reduction over 15 years as ineffective, as indicated in a 2019 review.
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The revised formula will be effective for the 2025-26 school year.
Ken Glazebrook, president of the Alberta School Councils’ Association,
