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EDMONTON — Alberta is moving ahead with four public charter school projects that will create or renovate more than 5,150 student spaces in Calgary, Edmonton and Medicine Hat.
The province says the projects will receive about $84 million through the larger $8.6-billion Schools Now program.
The newly approved projects include planning funding for Connect Charter School Society in Calgary, the Center for Academic and Personal Excellence in Medicine Hat and STEM Collegiate Canada Society in Edmonton.
New Generations Calgary Board has been approved for design funding.
Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says the projects are intended to give families more choice within Alberta’s public education system.
Public charter schools are publicly funded and tuition-free, but offer specialized programs and greater flexibility in how education is delivered.
The province says the four projects will create about 4,280 new student spaces and renovate more than 870 existing spaces.
In Edmonton, the STEM Collegiate Canada Society’s Heritage Valley project is expected to create specialized STEM learning spaces for 1,200 students.
The Connect Charter School project in Calgary includes a new 775-student high school.
With the latest approvals, the province says 12 public charter school projects have now been approved through Schools Now.
Together, those projects are expected to deliver more than 10,500 new and renovated student spaces, including almost 8,300 new spaces and more than 2,200 renovated spaces.
The province says public charter schools can face significant challenges related to facility availability and capital costs.
Charter schools can apply for capital funding through the annual capital planning process or submit proposals through the Schools Now Charter School Construction Pilot Program.
The province says proposals are evaluated using a standardized framework that considers need, project feasibility and alignment with government priorities.
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