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Alberta charter schools are a special type of public school[1] which have a greater degree of autonomy than normal public schools, allowing them to offer programs that are significantly different from regular public schools operated by district school boards. Charter schools report directly to the province, bypassing their local district school board, may not exceed their assigned quota of students without provincial permission. They are also unique, in the sense that they may reject students for admission and can charge additional fees in the form of school uniforms, bus services, extracurricular activities, and more.
As of 2022-23, roughly 11,000 students were enrolled in charter schools (1.4% of total student population), compared to 508,478 in public schools (66.3%), 177,633 in separate schools (23.1%), and 40,676 in private schools (5.3%).[2]
Alberta charter schools are publicly-funded institutions run by private school associations or authorities that must be registered non-profit societies. The charter schools theoretically cannot have any religious affiliations, can only charge additional & optional tuition, and cannot operate on a for-profit basis. The teachers must be certified, and the curriculum must follow the approved provincial curriculum - though are permitted to adopt additional, independent educational programs and philosophies into their programming. Alberta, which passed enabling legislation in 1994 (three years after the first charter school opened in the United States in Minnesota), remains the only province in Canada that allows charter schools.[3][4]
Charter schools are represented by The Association of Alberta Public Charter Schools (TAAPCS).
Supporters claim that charter schools offer greater "freedom in choice of education" for parents of students.[5] They also claim that charter schools improve the public education system by offering higher-quality education and supporting disadvantaged students.[6]
Critics have argued that charter schools 'Americanize' the public K-12 education system, and effectively allows privately-operated institutions to receive public funding - though with less oversight and more freedom in their programming.[7] Public education advocates have also noted how charter schools undermine the public education system by subsidizing a market for separate and segregated educational systems using public funds, instead of increasing funding to regular K-12 institutions.[8][9]
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Current charters
As of July 2024, there are 37 approved charter schools operated by 22 authorities.[10] The number of charter schools was previously limited to a maximum of 15,[11] but Jason Kenney's UCP government eliminated this cap effective September 2020.[12][13][14]
| Location | School Authority | Charter/Campus | Chartered | Grades | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary | Alberta Classical Academy Ltd. | Calgary Classical Academy Bridgeland Campus (K-5) | 2022 | K-8 (with plans to expand to K-12) | Students acquire an academically rigorous and traditional liberal arts education, focusing on classical Western canon art, literature, and philosophy. Offers language instruction in French, Mandarin, and Latin.[15] |
| Calgary Classical Academy Currie Barracks Campus (K-8) | 2023 | ||||
| Edmonton Classical Academy Eastgate Campus (K-8) | 2023 | ||||
| Almadina School Society | Almadina Language Charter Academy, Mountain View Campus (K-4) | 1996 | K–9 | English as a Second Language.[16] | |
| Almadina Language Charter Academy, Ogden Campus (4-9) | |||||
| Calgary Arts Academy (CAA) | CAA Knob Hill Elementary Campus (K-3) | 2003 | K–12 | Students learn Alberta Curriculum through Arts Immersion.[17][18] | |
| CAA Rosscarrock Middle School Campus (4-9) | 2003 | ||||
| CAA High School Erickson Centre (10-12) | 2020 | ||||
| Calgary Girls' Charter School (CGCS) | CGCS Bel-Aire Campus (4-5) | 2003 | 4–9 | All-female school with a focus on developing a strong sense of self and understanding historical and contemporary gender issues.[19][20] | |
| CGCS Lakeview Campus (6-9) | |||||
| Connect Charter School | --- | 1999 | 4–9 | Formerly called the Calgary Science School. Focus on outdoor education and technology. More instruction time on mathematics, science, and technology, employing a problem-based approach to learning.[21] | |
| Foundations for the Future Charter Academy (FFCA) | FFCA High School Campus (9-12) | 1997 | K–12 | Focus on academic excellence, leadership, and character development.[22] It is the only Alberta charter school currently operating more than two campuses.[23] | |
| FFCA South High School Campus (9-12) | |||||
| North Middle School Campus (5-8) | |||||
| Northeast Elementary Campus (K-4) | |||||
| Northwest Elementary Campus (K-4) | |||||
| South Middle School Campus (5-8) | |||||
| Southeast Elementary Campus (K-4) | |||||
| Southwest Elementary Campus (K-4) | |||||
| Fusion Education Association | Fusion Collegiate | **proposed for 2024 | 10-12 | Dual credit course partnerships have been established with University of Calgary, Olds College, Junior Achievement Southern Alberta, and a number of industry and business partners.
Students will be able to choose from the specialized pathways in business and entrepreneurship; animal and health sciences; skilled trades; or pursue an open pathway (blended). Graduates will obtain a high-school diploma, and either 1) a certificate, diploma or up to 15 credits toward university or college diploma or degree courses, or 2) skilled industry training and credential(s) towards an Apprenticeship.[24] | |
| STEM Innovation Academy | STEM Innovation Academy Middle School (7-9) | 2021 | 7-12 | Focus on STEM education and digital technologies. Sister school to Stem Collegiate (in Edmonton).[25] | |
| STEM Innovation Academy High School (10-12) | |||||
| Westmount Charter School | Westmount Elementary School (K-4) | 1996 | K–12 | Curriculum and charter mandate described as serving 'gifted students'.[26] | |
| Westmount Mid-High School (5-12) | |||||
| Calmar | New Humble Community School | --- | 2021 | K-6 | Offers agricultural and experiential land-management education. |
| Edmonton | Alberta Classical Academy Ltd. | Edmonton Classical Academy | **proposed for 2024-25 | K-8 | Students acquire an academically rigorous and traditional liberal arts education, focusing on classical Western canon art, literature, and philosophy. Offers language instruction in French, Mandarin, and Latin.[27] |
| Aurora School Ltd. | Aurora Academic Charter Primary School | 1996 | K–12 | Directed academically-oriented instruction[28] | |
| Aurora Academic Charter Secondary School | 2023 | ||||
| Boyle Street Education Centre | --- | 1995 | K–12 | Offers trauma-informed, reconciliation-first education, primarily for inner-city Indigenous youth whose formal schooling has been interrupted. Available programming includes art, cooking, fashion, hairstyling, drama, Indigenous cultural experiences, music, woodworking, yoga, meditation, and more.[29] | |
| STEM Collegiate Canada | --- | 2023 | 7-9 (with plans to expand to 10-12) | Focus on STEM education and digital technologies. Sister school to STEM Innovation Academy (Calgary).[30] | |
| Suzuki Charter School | --- | 1995 | K–9 | Teaches music using the Suzuki method of learning. The philosophy behind the methodology, originally developed by Shin'ichi Suzuki, extends into other areas of study.[31] | |
| Thrive Charter School | --- | 2023 | K-6 | Focus on STEM. Offers extended learning hours (8am-6pm) and extracurricular programming. | |
| Genesee (nearWarburg) | Mother Earth's Children's Charter School (MECCS) | --- | 2003 | K–9 | Canada's only Indigenous charter school. Programming and learning based around values including the Medicine wheel, Seven Sacred Teachings (Respect, Love, Courage, Wisdom, Honesty, Humility, Truth) as a basis for action, and traditional Indigenous teaching and philosophies.[32] |
| Gwynne | Gwynne Valley Rural Education Association (GVREA) | Gwynne Valley Rural Academy | **proposed for 2024 | K-9 (with plans to expand to 10-12 by 2027). | Will be focused on horticulture, life skills, food security & sustainability, trades & vocation, finance & budgeting, Maskwacis learning partnerships & cultural exchanges, permaculture, animal husbandry, and resource management.[33] |
| Holden | Holden Rural Academy Society | Holden Rural Academy | 2022 | 7-12 | Core courses in the morning, followed by afternoon options that include sports, fine arts, automotive & HD mechanics, woodworking & construction, culinary, Apprenticeship (through RAP) or work experience, or other off-campus or online programming.[34] |
| Leduc | New Humble Community School Association | New Humble Community School | 2022 | K-9 | "New Humble Community School is a public charter school located in Leduc County, Alberta. NHCS offers a unique learning experience through the use of agriculture, environment & stewardship as an instrument for experiential hands-on learning."[35] |
| Medicine Hat | Centre for Academic and Personal Excellence (CAPE) Institute | --- | 1995 | K–9 | Individualized and integrated programs "aimed at helping underachieving but intellectually capable students strive for academic and personal excellence".[36] |
| Sherwood Park | New Horizons Charter School Society | New Horizons Charter School | 1995 | K–9 | The first charter school opened in Canada.
Programming for 'gifted students'.[37] |
| Valhalla Centre | Valhalla School Foundation | Valhalla Community School | 2008 | K–9 | Programming based around rural education and leadership, 'entrepreneurial culture', explicit phonics, second language (German or French, starting in Grade 1), cultural literacy, etiquette.[38][39] |
Former charters
Three charter school have closed:
- The Global Learning Academy, in Calgary, was granted a charter in 1996, and with 480 students was the largest charter school in the province. However, mismanagement and financial problems resulted in the suspension of its founding principal in December 1997, the replacement of its board of directors with a trustee in January 1998, and the revocation of the school's charter before the start of the 1998–1999 school year.[40][41]
- The Moberly Hall Charter School, the only charter school hosted by a Roman Catholic school board, operated in Fort McMurray from 1997 to 2007 before voluntarily closing because of declining enrolment and rising costs.[3]
- The Mundare Charter School was established in Mundare by parents in 1997 when the town's elementary/junior high school closed, but operated for only one year. It was absorbed into the local public school board as an alternative elementary school after low enrolment resulted in financial difficulty.[3]
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