Wolf Creek schools face $1.7M deficit, say 14 more EAs still needed
The Ponoka-based division funded three new educational assistant positions despite its budget shortfall, while the NDP accused the UCP of failing to fix classroom complexity issues a year after the teachers strike.
Why it matters
The funding gap shows how a central Alberta school division is still struggling to meet student support needs a year after the provincewide teachers strike over classroom conditions.
Wolf Creek Public Schools, based in Ponoka, is projecting a budget deficit of about $1.7 million for 2026/27, with operating reserves sitting at roughly $2.7 million, according to a board of trustees budget update. Despite the shortfall, trustees agreed to fund three full-time educational assistant positions, though the division says it still needs 14 more to properly address growing student complexity needs. The board detailed those concerns in a September letter to the provincial education minister. Superintendent Tim De Ruyck said the board is doing all it can within its capacity.
The update came as Alberta's NDP opposition criticized the UCP government this week, ahead of the legislature's return, for failing to address the classroom complexity issues behind last year's province-wide teachers strike. NDP education critic Amanda Chapman said teachers, students and parents are still dealing with the same challenges a year later, and NDP members wore black on Tuesday in solidarity with teachers.
The Ministry of Education and Childcare said it recognizes growing class sizes and complexity as a real pressure, citing about 90,000 additional students entering the system over four years. A ministry spokesperson said more than 2,100 teachers and 1,000 educational assistants have been added provincewide, with $355 million invested this year to address the issue. Wolf Creek specifically is set to receive $438,074 through the Classroom Complexity Grant and was allocated $1,319,742 to hire four complexity teams spanning kindergarten through Grade 12.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.