Education Amendment Act, 2025

Summary#

• This bill updates Alberta’s Education Act and several related laws. Its main goals are to rename “private schools” as “independent schools,” change who controls land for new schools, adjust trustee discipline, and tune parts of the teacher discipline system.

• It also makes small election changes for Jasper in 2025–2026 and aligns school–municipal facility-sharing rules with the Municipal Government Act.

• Key changes:

  • Renames “private school” to “independent school” across Alberta laws (including pensions, elections, health, privacy).
  • Lets the Province take ownership of land needed for an approved new school after written notice, then lease it to the school board.
  • Bars school boards from using a code of conduct to remove an elected trustee; earlier disqualifications remain in place.
  • Aligns joint use and planning agreements (shared use of gyms, fields, sites) with municipal law and allows exemptions by regulation.
  • Adjusts teacher discipline rules (appeal fee, timing when a firing is appealed, ability to delegate complaint duties, and employer notifications).
  • Temporary residency rules for school and Francophone trustee elections in Jasper for 2025–2026.

What it means for you#

• Parents and students
  • The Province can take title to land for approved new schools more quickly, which could speed up school construction in fast‑growing areas.
  • The term “independent school” replaces “private school.” Day‑to‑day schooling should not change because of the name.
• Teachers and teacher leaders
  • If you face a conduct complaint, the Commissioner can notify future school employers of certain decisions and notices.
  • If you are fired and there is a related complaint, the Commissioner must wait until any job‑termination appeals are finished or the appeal time runs out before acting on the complaint.
  • Starting a complainant appeal now requires paying a fee (amount set by regulation).
  • Administrators can delegate their complaint duties to another individual (except for complaints about superintendents appointed under the Act).
• School boards
  • You can no longer include removal of a trustee as a punishment under your code of conduct. Existing disqualifications stay in place, and ongoing cases continue.
  • For new schools, the Province can transfer the school site into provincial ownership by giving notice. The board will be offered a lease to use the site.
  • Joint use and planning agreements must follow new criteria; some municipalities may be exempt by regulation.
  • Special residency rules apply for trustee elections in areas that include the Municipality of Jasper in 2025–2026.
• Municipalities
  • If land (including parcels with “reserve” designations) is needed for an approved new school, the Province can take ownership after a notice period. This transfer is not treated as an expropriation (government taking property with a set legal process and compensation). The Province may pay an amount set by regulation.
  • Reserve designations are removed from titles when land transfers to the Province.
  • Joint use and planning agreements with school boards are still expected, but some municipalities may be exempt by regulation.
• Independent schools and early childhood program operators
  • Your legal name changes to “independent school” throughout provincial law. Forms, policies, and references will need updates.
  • Teacher‑conduct processes change slightly (appeal fee, employer notifications, and administrative delegation).

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Renaming to “independent school” is clearer and more consistent with how these schools operate and how other provinces speak about them.
• Letting the Province take title to school sites cuts red tape, speeds up school builds, and ensures projects are not blocked by land delays.
• Leasing the site back to the local board keeps daily school operations local while standardizing ownership for construction and long‑term maintenance.
• Updating joint use agreements and allowing exemptions lets the Province set clear, consistent rules while recognizing local differences.
• Preventing boards from ousting trustees under a code of conduct protects democratic choice; only voters or established legal processes should remove elected officials.
• Teacher discipline tweaks make the system clearer: avoid overlapping job and discipline cases, discourage frivolous appeals with a fee, and help future employers make safer hiring decisions with timely notifications.
• Temporary Jasper residency rules help eligible residents vote and run in 2025–2026 despite unique local circumstances.

Opponents' View#

• Allowing the Province to take school land without using the usual expropriation process weakens local control and property protections for municipalities and boards; compensation rules are unclear because they are left to regulation.
• Removing “reserve” status and centralizing ownership could sideline city planning and community needs tied to shared parks and fields.
• Leasing sites back to boards may add long‑term costs and reduce local say over school lands.
• Letting the Province exempt municipalities from joint use agreements could reduce public access to school gyms, fields, and spaces.
• Barring trustee removal for code‑of‑conduct breaches may limit boards’ ability to respond quickly to serious misconduct by trustees.
• Teacher discipline changes may chill complaints (because of a new fee) and harm reputations if notifications reach future employers before final outcomes; waiting for job‑termination appeals could slow responses to risks.