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Taking action on classroom complexity

Alberta is taking action to address classroom complexity with expert input, data collection and investments in schools and supports.

Overview

In just the past 4 years, more than 87,000 new students have joined Alberta’s education system. This rapid growth has created new challenges for schools and teachers across the province, resulting in more complex classrooms and larger class sizes.

To ensure every student has the support they need, we are taking action through several key initiatives.

Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee

Formed in November 2025, the Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee is working with school boards, community members and academic experts. It uses data and input from across the system to guide decisions on resource allocation and strategies to address class size and complexity.

Committee members include:

  • Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta - Chair
  • Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare - Co-chair
  • Nathan Neudorf, Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services
  • Rick Wilson, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction
  • Searle Turton, Minister of Child and Family Services
  • Lynnette Anderson, chief superintendent, Edmonton Catholic Schools
  • Nicole Buchanan, chair, Red Deer Public Schools
  • Marilyn Dennis, former president of Alberta School Boards Association
  • Mike McMann, superintendent, Fort Vermilion Schools and President, College of Alberta School Superintendents
  • Joanne Pitman, chief superintendent, Calgary Board of Education
  • Dr. Elissa Corsi, Alberta Teachers’ Association
  • Kevin Van Lagen, principal, Altario school Prairie Land (joined the committee January 5, 2026)
  • Tamara Korolis, teacher, Calgary Board of Education (joined the committee January 5, 2026)

Learn more about the committee

Aggression and Complexity in Schools Action Team

Formed in June 2025, the Aggression and Complexity in Schools Action Team provided advice to the Minister of Education and Childcare on reducing classroom disruptions and strengthening support for students and teachers.

The action team’s report, released in November 2025, is helping to shape a provincial roadmap for safer classrooms. This includes new data collection efforts and the development of a new student support policy framework. 

Learn more about the action team

Classroom data collection

In November 2025, school boards across the province provided data on the sizes and composition of their classrooms to help government better understand the challenges schools are facing. 

In February 2026, the data was released publicly:

The data reveals how multiple factors including class size, composition and student needs combine to create concentrated pressure points within the education system. 

Data for the 2026/27 school year will be collected in fall 2026 and released publicly in early 2027.   

To begin addressing complexity in the 2025/26 school year, government invested $143 million to create up to 476 complexity teams. Each team includes one teacher and 2 educational assistants. These teams were deployed to schools with the highest-need classrooms in Kindergarten to grade 6.

This initiative was the first phase in a multi-phased approach. Alberta’s government will continue to collect and release data annually to guide future investments and improve outcomes for students.

Supporting enrolment growth

Through the Schools Now program, the province is investing $8.6 billion to build and modernize more schools, with faster delivery timelines made possible through in-year funding approvals.

Learn more about Schools Now

Investing in classrooms

Budget 2026 provides a record $10.8 billion in education funding for the 2026/27 year, including $355 million to address class sizes and classroom complexity.

This includes $200 million for the class size reduction grant, which will allow school authorities to hire more than 1,400 additional teachers. This investment will help reduce class sizes, support teachers and give students more individual attention.

This builds on the $300 million invested over 3 years in October 2025 to help school boards hire 1,500 education assistants and complete more student assessments, ensuring classrooms have the support they need to keep pace with growth.

In June 2026, government also announced a $100-million investment to expand classroom complexity supports across Kindergarten to Grade 12. This includes more complexity teams, improved access to specialized supports in rural and remote communities, and tiered training support for educators. 

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