Alberta has a world-class education system with students continually ranking among the top in Canada and worldwide. However, unprecedented population growth in recent years has put strain on classrooms. To meet this challenge head on, Alberta's government introduced the School Construction Accelerator Program, investing $8.6 billion to build and renovate more than 130 schools across the province and speeding up the school construction process. This is the fifth batch of school accelerations since the creation of the program in 2024.
"Fast-tracking school projects cuts months off the timelines and moves them that much closer to opening their doors for students. Families in Calgary and St. Albert will see new classrooms sooner because we're speeding up the work."
Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare
In Calgary, two francophone schools in the city's north are moving from the planning to the design phase, and a public charter school in Quarry Park is advancing from design to construction. In St. Albert, a new Kindergarten to Grade 9 public school in the Chérot neighbourhood is now approved to move into the design phase.
"We're reducing delays and accelerating construction so students can learn in modern classrooms sooner. By fast-tracking these projects, we're turning plans into progress and delivering the schools growing communities urgently need."
Martin Long, Minister of Infrastructure
In its first year alone, the $8.6-billion program approved 45 new school projects and fast-tracked funding approvals for 38 others, advancing some by up to nine-and-a-half months, and, in one case, by more than a year. Since the program was announced, nine new or modernized schools have opened to students, adding or updating almost 6,000 student spaces across Alberta.
More than 120 school projects are currently underway across the province, with additional investments to be announced in Budget 2026.
"The Schools Now program has streamlined the progress of new school construction in our division and around the province. In our case, the government was able to move our newest project into the design phase as soon as our site was approved by the city. This will help us get this school on line more quickly and open our doors to more students in St. Albert."
John Allen, board chair, St. Albert Public Schools
"We are very pleased to see the francophone 10-12 high school in Panorama Hills and the francophone K-9 Catholic school in the Hamptons move from planning to the design stage. This represents a significant step toward addressing the needs of francophone families by improving access to modern and comparable educational infrastructure."
Gregory van Duyse, chair, FrancoSud
Quick facts
- Thirty-eight projects have been fast-tracked through Schools Now, with four projects having been accelerated twice, for a total of 42 accelerations.
- By 2031-32, Schools Now will deliver about 200,000 new and renovated student spaces, including:
- 50,000+ spaces from previously approved projects
- 150,000 spaces from the accelerator program:
- 100,000+ new student spaces
- 16,600+ modernized spaces
- 20,000 modular classroom spaces
- 12,500 new public charter school spaces
- Alberta's $8.6-billion investment will:
- build up to 90 new schools
- renovate or replace up to 24 schools
- build or expand up to 15 public charter schools
- complete more than 80 school projects underway at program launch
- fast-track projects when they are ready to advance
- deliver modular classrooms to rapidly growing communities
