The Alberta government is accelerating construction and planning on 41 school projects across the province, saying the move will deliver more than 39,000 new and upgraded student spaces while cutting months off construction timelines.The latest round of approvals under the province's $8.6-billion Schools Now program advances 19 projects to the construction stage, while another 22 projects move from planning into design.According to the province, the accelerated approvals will reduce project timelines by more than nine months. Four projects that were already fast-tracked in May 2025 have now received a second round of accelerated approvals.Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the program is designed to help families in rapidly growing communities gain access to schools sooner."Having a school in the community is a tremendous benefit for families," Nicolaides said. "These accelerated school projects will help ensure more families across Alberta have access to a local school in their community."The Schools Now program was launched in September 2024 to speed up school construction as Alberta's student population continues to grow. The province says more than 90,000 students have entered Alberta's education system over the past four years.Infrastructure Minister Martin Long said moving projects through the approval process more quickly will help communities keep pace with enrolment growth."Getting schools built faster matters to Alberta families," Long said. "By accelerating 41 projects through the Schools Now program, we are moving more than 39,000 student spaces closer to construction and ensuring communities see real progress sooner.".Calgary accounts for the largest share of the latest approvals, with 16 projects supporting public, separate, francophone and charter schools in rapidly expanding neighbourhoods.Eleven projects in Edmonton are also moving forward, including new elementary and high schools, school additions, replacement schools and major modernization projects.Outside the province's two largest cities, new schools or upgrades are planned for Airdrie, Brooks, Chestermere, Red Deer, Beaumont, Sherwood Park, Morinville, St. Albert, Wetaskiwin, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie County and Fairview.Calgary Board of Education chair Laura Hack welcomed the announcement, noting that 11 Calgary projects are now advancing to construction."We are grateful that more than half of our school projects are advancing to the next stage through the Schools Now program," Hack said.Calgary Catholic School District board chair Lory Iovinelli said new schools help strengthen both education and local communities.The province said there are currently 159 active school projects underway across Alberta, including 16 already completed through the Schools Now program.By 2031-32, the $8.6-billion initiative is expected to deliver about 200,000 new or modernized student spaces. Since the program began, projects have been accelerated 83 times, with nine receiving multiple rounds of expedited approvals.
