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Edmonton…
Budget 2004 reinforces government’s commitment to leading
in learning with a nearly $300-million increase in funding to the
learning system in 2004-05 and more than $1 billion over the next
three years for schools and post-secondary capital projects.
Funding Support
In fiscal 2004-05, support to the
basic and post-secondary learning systems will increase $294 million,
or 5.7 per cent over the 2003-04 forecast, to over $5.4 billion.
This includes base program spending by the Ministry of Learning
of nearly $5.3 billion, an increase of $284 million, and property
tax support to opted-out school boards totaling $171 million, an
increase of $10 million.
This increase in base annual support
is over and above increases of $76 million injected during the course
of the 2003-04 budget year to respond to supported recommendations
of Alberta’s Commission on Learning, to create new post-secondary
spaces in high-demand areas, and address other pressures. Responding
to the Commission’s recommendations and increasing access
to post-secondary and apprenticeship programs continues to be the
primary foci in 2004-05, as government works to strengthen our learning
system to ensure it remains among the best in the world.
It is a focus that will continue in
the coming years as spending on the learning system, including property
tax support, grows to $5.9 billion by 2006-07 – a three-year
increase of $763 million, or 14.8 per cent.
“Government has said education
is a top priority, and Budget 2004 confirms it,” Learning
Minister Dr. Lyle Oberg said. “We already have one of the
best education systems in the world. But we can’t rest on
our laurels if we want to continue to lead in learning. We must
work even harder to make sure the students of tomorrow enjoy the
advantages our students do today, and that we have the skilled and
knowledgeable workforce we will need to compete in the future.”
New Funding Framework
To better meet the needs of school
boards and their students, government is introducing a new funding
framework beginning September 2004. The framework will provide funding
to school boards according to their unique circumstances, with additional
dollars for students with special needs, Aboriginal students, and
English as a Second Language (ESL) students, as well as for school
boards with higher cost pressures, smaller schools and declining
enrollments.
Under this framework, boards will have
the flexibility to use their funding at their discretion to address
local needs and priorities, including issues such as class size
and other supported recommendations from the Commission. They will
also be required to account to their constituents for how those
dollars are spent.
Budget highlights in basic learning
include:
- Total ongoing basic learning support
will increase $216 million (5.8 per cent) to $3.9 billion in the
2004-05 fiscal year (over 2003-04 forecast).
- This increase does not take into
account funding that was injected into the system during the 2003-04
budget year. Including those funding hikes, ongoing support to
the K-12 system will be more than $250 million higher this budget
year than the original budget for 2003-04.
- Total ongoing basic learning support
will grow to $4.3 billion by 2006-07, including property tax support
to opted-out boards, a three-year increase of $607 million (16.4
per cent).
- School board support will increase
$189 million (6.0 per cent) in 2004-05 to almost $3.4 billion.
This excludes a $20 million one-time allocation provided to school
boards in 2003-04 to purchase classroom resources. By 2006-07,
school board support will be $3.7 billion, a three-year increase
of $532 million (16.8 per cent).
- Funding to private schools will
increase $4.4 million (3.7 per cent) to $121 million.
- Funding for Student Health Services
will increase $4.4 million (13.3 per cent) to $37 million.
Better Meeting the Needs
of Students
Work will also continue on implementing
new second-language and physical activity and wellness programs
in the coming year. As well, government will undertake a number
of technology initiatives, including videoconferencing, to better
meet the needs of students in all corners of the province.
Adult Learning
In adult learning, all public universities,
colleges and technical institutes will receive a base operating
grant increase of 4.0 per cent in 2004-05. In addition, government
will create 2,000 new spaces over the next four years in high-priority
areas, enhance its world-leading apprenticeship programs, and implement
the Post-Secondary Learning Act to increase access to degree-granting
programs. Government will also provide $7 million in additional
annual operating funding to support the merger of the University
of Alberta and Augustana University College in Camrose. This merger
will support more than 1,200 degree-completion opportunities to
meet the increasing demand for post-secondary education in rural
Alberta.
Budget highlights in adult learning
include:
- Adult learning funding will increase
$93 million (7.2 per cent) to nearly $1.4 billion in 2004-05;
and to nearly $1.5 billion by 2006-07, a three-year increase of
$166 million (12.8 per cent).
- Ongoing support to post-secondary
institutions will increase $85 million (7.5 per cent) to more
than $1.2 billion in 2004-05; and to nearly $1.3 billion by 2006-07,
a three-year increase of $132 million (11.6 per cent). This excludes
$40 million in one-time allocations for performance and operations
and maintenance provided in 2003-04.
- Funding for scholarships, bursaries
and grants to students will increase by $6.2 million, or 10.9
per cent, to $63 million in 2004-05.
- $4 million has been budgeted in
2004-05 for the Alberta Centennial Education Savings Plan, which
begins January 1, 2005. The program will cost $20 million a year
beginning in 2005-06.
Infrastructure Spending
Budget 2004 will also help alleviate
some of province’s infrastructure pressures due to the rapid
economic and population growth in recent years. The 2004-07 Capital
Plan will support $636 million in school capital projects throughout
Alberta. This includes an additional $163 million in new funding
that has been earmarked for yet-to-be-announced additional school
facility projects. The Capital Plan will also support $416 million
for post-secondary projects.
Recruiting, Retraining
and Rethinking
The province is also working with
health regions, professional groups and post-secondary institutions
to educate, recruit and retain the needed health workforce. The
Aboriginal Bursary Program is one example of the support provided
to Aboriginal Albertans entering the health professions. Several
Health and Wellness initiatives such as the Healthy U public
education campaign and Aboriginal Health Strategy work to educate
Albertans on healthy choices. The Healthy U program will
be expanded to include communities and the workplace.
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Go to Budget
2004 News Release or Backgrounders:
Go to Budget 2004 Documents:
For media inquiries, please contact:
(Dial 310-000 for toll free access
outside Edmonton.)
Jerry Bellikka
Director of Communications
Alberta Finance
(780) 427-5364
(780) 718-5699 cellular |
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