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Newly announced schools in Edmonton will focus largely on capacity needs in the outer edges of the city.
The province’s 2026 budget, introduced last month, earmarks provincial funding for eight new schools and two replacement schools in the city.
“It’s incredibly urgent. Our population as a province has grown tremendously over the last two or three years,” said Edmonton Minister Demetrios Nicolaides. “That has cascaded into our school divisions.”
The education minister announced details on Edmonton AM ahead of a Monday news conference.
LISTEN | Nicolaides announces new schools in Edmonton:
Edmonton AM7:33Edmonton home to 10 new schools
Alberta’s 2026 budget includes funding for 10 new school projects in Edmonton. Alberta’s Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides joins Edmonton AM ahead of the formal school announcement.
There will be four new schools for the Edmonton public division, including K-9 schools in Aster, River’s Edge and Stillwater. A K-6 school is in the works for Crystallina Nera on the northern edge of the Anthony Henday.
Edmonton Catholic will build a new K-9 in Kirkness. The one new high school on the list will be in Glenridding Heights, serving the larger Windermere community. The list also includes a replacement school at the St. Alphonsus School site.
Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord is approved for two new schools and one replacement school. Those will be located in southwest Edmonton and north Edmonton. There also will be a replacement for École Jean-Claude Mahé.
“These schools will collectively create more than 8,400 student spaces,” Nicolaides said.
Of those, 7,100 will be from new schools. The remainder are renovated spaces that come with building the two replacement schools.
All 10 projects are in either the planning or design phase. Nicolaides said typical timelines for completion are between four and five years.
The province said more than 80,000 students have joined Alberta schools in the last three years.
Sandra Palazzo, board chair of Edmonton Catholic Schools, said over half of the division’s schools are operating beyond their capacity, despite adding modular classrooms.
High schools are under the most strain she said, citing Archbishop O’Leary Catholic High School as being at 146 per cent capacity.
WATCH | A look at restrictive school boundaries in Edmonton:
Residents of Keswick speak out about tight school zone boundaries
A section of a southwest Edmonton neighbourhood is feeling like they got the short end of the stick when it comes to neighbourhood school boundaries. As the CBC’s Nicole Healey explains, a newer section of Keswick is not included in the attendance zone of a school that is five minutes away.
“When schools run out of space, families experience longer travel times, limited program choices, and learning that takes place in space is not designed for teaching.”
“New schools are the only long term solution to addressing these pressures.”
The locations and types of schools funded are selected based on guidance from the schools divisions, according to the education minister.
“We look at their top choices. I like to provide them with a lot of deference. They know their communities best. They know their classrooms,” Nicolaides said.
“These are new projects that are being added to the capital plan. There are now 37 active school projects under way,” he said.
The recently completed St. Carlo Acutis Catholic High School in north Edmonton will begin welcoming students next fall. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said its an example of what the government is trying to achieve more of. (David Bajer/CBC)
The Education Ministry says in the 2026-2027 fiscal year there will be 12 schools opening around Alberta.
Following a similar announcement in Calgary, Alberta Teachers’ Association President Jason Schilling said the new projects will help with enrolment pressures, but that he wants to see more done to address current class sizes.
The announcement was made at the recently completed St. Carlo Acutis Catholic High School, which will begin welcoming students next fall. Nicolaides said its an example of what the government is trying to achieve more of, with new school investments each year.
Nicolaides pointed to the province’s “schools now” initiative, which seeks to add 200,000 new and updated student spaces by 2031-2032.