Alberta Petition Aims to Redirect Funds from Private to Public Schools

A citizen initiative petition in Alberta has begun collecting signatures with the goal of stopping public funds from being allocated to accredited independent schools. Organizer Alicia Taylor, a teacher at Joane Cardinal-Schubert High School in Calgary, expressed confidence in exceeding the required number of signatures. The petition poses a crucial question to residents: “Should the Government of Alberta end its current practice of allocating public funds to accredited independent (private) schools?”

The initiative received approval on October 3, 2023, and signature collection commenced shortly thereafter. The organizers must gather 177,732 signatures, equivalent to 10 percent of the total votes cast in the last provincial general election, by February 11, 2026. Taylor noted that the impetus for the petition arose from discussions among colleagues regarding recent changes to the rules surrounding citizen-initiated petitions.

“The vision would be to ultimately have this as a question on the next Alberta election ballots,” Taylor explained. She emphasized that a secondary objective is to raise awareness about the significant funding allocated to private schools. Currently, Alberta reportedly funds private school students at a rate of approximately 70 percent of what is provided for public school students, the highest rate in Canada.

Taylor’s ultimate aim is clear: “The end goal would be that the amount of funding going to a private school would be zero. We’re hoping to support a well-funded public school system that supports all students.”

As the petition moves forward, Taylor highlighted the potential impact of the ongoing teachers’ strike, now nearing its fourth week. While she clarified that the petition is not directly related to the strike, she acknowledged that the situation has provided additional support for the initiative. “We have a lot of teachers that have more free time than normal, and they’re able to support this petition a lot better than if they were working,” she stated.

The campaign is gaining momentum, with strong backing from volunteers. Taylor revealed that they have submitted 700 canvassing applications to Elections Alberta. “Very soon, we will have a lot of people out canvassing,” she added. Canvassers are expected to be present at various events and rallies related to the teachers’ strike, maximizing visibility for the initiative.

With a focus on community engagement, Taylor noted that volunteers are employing creative strategies to gather signatures effectively. “Canvassers are already out and have lots of creative ideas about where they can get some good visibility and a lot of traffic,” she said.

As the petition progresses, the organizers remain hopeful about achieving their goals and demonstrating to the government that a significant portion of the population supports keeping public funds within the public education system.