Division Office ~
Three-Year Education Plan (2026–2029) Approved
Trustees approved the 2026–2029 Three-Year Education Plan, which introduces a restructured set of three Board Priorities that will guide the Division’s work and decision-making over the next three years: Wellness, Thriving Communities, and Engaged Learners.
The Wellness priority recognizes that when students, staff, and systems are well, the foundational conditions for learning are in place. It includes the establishment of a CASA Classroom at École Barrhead Elementary School, a newly branded Wellness Team providing mental-health programming, and continued Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) training. The Thriving Communities priority focuses on strengthening relationships and collaboration — including the Division’s Métis Education Services Agreement with the Rupertsland Institute, a new student-voice initiative during Trustee school visits, and collaborative team structures in every school. The Engaged Learners priority continues the Division’s focus on literacy and numeracy, expanded writing and numeracy supports, new curriculum implementation in grades 7 to 9, and growing opportunities in Work Experience, Green Certificate, Registered Apprenticeship, and Dual Credit programming.
The plan reflects feedback gathered from students, parents, staff, school councils, municipalities, and community partners, and notes high public confidence, with overall satisfaction across the Annual Satisfaction Survey’s four themes sitting near 90%.
2026-2027 Budget Balanced, Supports New Education Plan Priorities
The Board approved a balanced operating budget of $70.48 million for the 2026–2027 school year, an increase of $4.42 million (6.7%) over the prior year. Alberta Education and Childcare grant funding rises by approximately $4.0 million (7%) to $61.23 million, including a new $405,000 Class Size Reduction grant.
Importantly, the Division has eliminated its accumulated operating deficit, and this budget holds that position — though with no surplus cushion to draw on. Much of the growth reflects the recent teacher collective agreement: certificated salaries rise about 11.4%, while provincial Teacher Salary Settlement funding nearly triples to $2.89 million.
The Board’s approval of the budget is fundamentally a commitment to the Education Plan’s three priorities. The single largest investment across all three is the Division’s teaching and support staff, with roughly $31.9 million directed to staffing and operations at the school level. New investments flowing directly from the plan include the CASA Classroom, continued school-based counsellors, Wellness Coaches and Student & Family Advocates (Wellness), and enhanced Inclusive Education Lead Teacher time and a new Numeracy Lead Teacher position dedicated to literacy and numeracy support (Engaged Learners).
New Agreements Strengthen Partnerships with Local Counties
The Board approved new Joint Use and Planning Agreements (JUPAs) with the County of Barrhead No. 11. and Westlock County. Required under the Municipal Government Act and the Education Act, a JUPA allows a municipality and school division to share facilities and plan cooperatively for future school sites.
These agreements reflect a strong, collaborative relationship between the Division and both counties, built on principles of cooperation, fairness, and transparency. Practically, it means community groups can access gymnasiums, classrooms, sports fields, and playgrounds at Pembina Hills schools, while the Division’s schools can make use of County recreational facilities — reducing duplication and making the best use of public resources for residents across the region. The agreement also sets out a shared framework for planning future school sites as communities grow.
Student Ride Times Continue to Improve Across the Division
The Board received the annual Transportation Assurance Report. Each day, more than 2,600 students ride Division buses, travelling an average of 16.28 kilometres between home and school. Encouragingly, ride times continue to improve: the average one-way ride is now 34 minutes (down from 38), and the share of students riding more than an hour fell to 10.5% (from 15.5%).
The department’s driver-training school trained 14 new drivers this year, with 6 more in progress, and passed its audit with excellence. Student safety programming included the “Meet the Bus” and “Safely on Board” programs and evacuation drills. A continuing concern is motorists illegally passing buses with red lights flashing — 51 such infractions were recorded between August 2025 and April 2026, though this is down from 80 the prior year.