Alberta Group Aims for Public School Funding Change with Petition

A citizen initiative petition aimed at altering public funding for schools in Alberta has commenced, with organizer Alicia Taylor expressing strong confidence in its success. The petition, titled Alberta Funds Public Schools, seeks to pose the question to voters: “Should the Government of Alberta end its current practice of allocating public funds to accredited independent (private) schools?”

Taylor, an educator at Joane Cardinal-Schubert High School in Calgary, initiated this movement following discussions with fellow teachers about recent changes to the rules governing citizen-initiated petitions. “The vision would be to ultimately have this as a question on the next Alberta election ballots,” Taylor stated. “Our side objective is to highlight the significant funding we provide to private schools, which is currently the highest in the country at 70 percent of the funding rate for public school students.”

The petition received approval on October 3, 2023, with signature collection starting shortly thereafter. In order to advance, it must gather 177,732 signatures, equivalent to 10 percent of the total votes cast in the 2023 provincial general election, by February 11, 2026. Taylor remains optimistic about surpassing this target, emphasizing the importance of demonstrating public support for keeping funds allocated to public education. “We’re aiming to surpass it, just to guarantee our success and show the government that many citizens want to keep public dollars in public schools,” she said.

The ongoing teachers’ strike, now in its fourth week, has provided additional context for the petition, although Taylor clarified that the two are not directly linked. She noted that many teachers currently have more time to engage with the petition due to the strike. “We have a lot of teachers who are more available to support this initiative,” she explained.

Volunteer support is pivotal to the petition’s goals, and Taylor indicated that Albertans can expect to see canvassers actively collecting signatures in various locations. “We have submitted 700 canvassing applications to Elections Alberta,” Taylor revealed. “Very soon, we will have many people out canvassing, especially at events related to the teachers’ situation. Canvassers are already out there, utilizing creative strategies to gain visibility and attract traffic.”

As the petition gains momentum, the organizers are poised to engage a wider audience, with the aim of fostering a well-funded public school system that benefits all students in Alberta.