By rdnewsNOW staff

board meeting

Chinook’s Edge School Division approves budget and education plan for 2025-26

May 27, 2025 | 5:06 PM

The Chinook’s Edge School Division board of trustees has approved the budget and education plan for the 2025-26 school year.

At their meeting on May 27, trustees approved a $140.9 million budget after a presentation from CFO/Treasurer Nadeem Altaf and a discussion between board members.

They anticipate $140.4 million in revenue next year and a budget deficit of $586,647. This means the board will use reserves to balance the budget if reserves at the end of the 2025-26 school year will be approximately $4 million. Most of the reserve is restricted and available only for future planned capital projects. Currently, the board is under the Alberta Education’s reserve cap of $8.4 million.

For 2025–2026, the division anticipates enrollment to be slightly lower than this year with approximately 11,198 students. This figure will determine funding allocations under the Adjusted Enrolment Method funding model.

Meantime, the board also approved the education plan for the upcoming school year.

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They focused on three pillars while constructing the plan which includes academic excellence, social emotional well-being and career connections.

The full education plan is posted on the division website but here are the main plans:

• Piloting a blend of online and in-person learning where students will have the opportunity to connect with their teacher, attend field trips, and access division standardized assessments while learning from home.
• Providing extensive learning opportunities within existing professional learning days for staff to enhance their capacity for dealing with an increasing number of student complexities.
• Expanding collegiate experience opportunities for rural students by fully utilizing partnerships with Olds College and Red Deer Polytechnic. These efforts aim to support students in post-secondary transition and ensure high school completion, allowing students to move forward with confidence into the world of work.