05/28/2026
On May 26, 2026, the Board of Trustees of Chinook’s Edge School Division (CESD) approved a $151 million budget for the 2026-2027 school year, following a presentation from CFO/Treasurer Nadeem Altaf and a detailed Board discussion. The budget reflects a commitment to supporting complex classrooms and learner needs.
“The budget was developed in alignment with the Chinook’s Edge Education Plan and our strategic priorities,” said Holly Bilton, Chair of the CESD Board of Trustees. "This budget reflects our determination to be where students come first, in every classroom, in every community, and in every decision we make."
A key focus for the Board of Trustees is providing support for complex learners and classrooms. To further support the increased complexities of its classrooms, CESD is launching two Integrated Student Support Teams.
The Integrated Student Support Teams will focus on responding to current student needs in schools and building staff capacity in the area of complex needs and differentiated programming.
Not to be confused with the complexity teams funded by the government, these Integrated Student Support Teams will each include a Learning Needs Specialist and a Behaviour Specialist. Additional specialized support available to schools via these teams include increased access to Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, and a Nurse.
85 per cent of the teams’ time will be spent in schools responding to emergent needs and collaborating with support staff in building their capacity to aid students. The teams will also focus on ensuring that data on complexity in CESD classrooms is collected to help drive future funding and support.
For 2026–2027, the division projects an enrollment of approximately 10,919 full time students, slightly lower than the previous year.
CESD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ryan Sawula noted that while the division faces declining enrollment and a provincial funding model based on student counts, the current budget prioritizes classroom resources. He emphasized that the plan decentralizes funding to maintain key learning supports and ensure class sizes remain below the Alberta average, fulfilling commitments made to stakeholders.
The Board of Trustees approved the 2026-2027 budget at its regular public meeting on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. The Board anticipates revenue next year of $151.3 million, with a budget deficit of $364,300. The division will use reserves to balance the budget, anticipating that reserves at the end of the 2026–2027 school year will be approximately $5.2 million.
More budget details are available at https://www.cesd73.ca/about/plans-reports.
