Last month the provincial budget for 2024 was released, and while the province boasted a modest surplus of just under half a billion dollars, we see many areas in desperate need of funding which they simply will not receive.
Calgary public schools are currently over 90% full on average across the city. Schools like Diefenbaker or SJAM right here in our own riding are full to the brim. This year we are welcoming 28,000 new students to the province and this budget only adds 35,000 new spaces over three years. So, we are only creating spaces at a third the necessary rate. This means we will see schools here in Calgary and across the province that are over capacity in the next three years.
Folks here in Calgary-Beddington deserve the best education for their kids and that means space to grow and teachers to learn from. We can do much better for our education system.
We also saw funding for healthcare kept well below the level needed to keep up with our booming population and know this can be a matter of great anxiety for folks who expect timely healthcare delivery when they need it.
If you have any questions or concerns stemming from last month’s budget please reach out, my office wants to hear from you. Let us know what you think.
MLA – Calgary Beddington Amanda Chapman proudly serves the following Communities: Beddington Heights, Country Hills, Huntington Hills, MacEwan Glen, Sandstone Valley
