Alberta's school trustees are raising a red flag over Bill 25, warning that sweeping amendments to the province's education act would strip boards of authority and concentrate power in the hands of the provincial education minister.
The concerns are coming from both current and former trustees who say the legislation fundamentally undermines the role of elected school boards across Alberta—and may signal the government's intent to eliminate them altogether.
What's in Bill 25?
Under the proposed amendments, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides would gain significant new powers, including:
• Approving all superintendent contracts—a role currently held by school boards
• Naming or renaming all public school buildings
• Directing school board priorities
• Reassigning empty school buildings and unused assets to other authorities, including charter and private schools
The bill also includes new "neutrality" provisions that would prevent school boards from making political or social commentary outside of education matters—though individual trustees could still speak freely.
Trustees Cry Foul
Trisha Estabrooks, former chair of Edmonton's public school board, pulled no punches in her assessment.
"This is an intentional signal that this government does not respect the authority of school boards. I think this is a death knell, to be honest, of the end of school boards."
Lorraine Stewart, president of the Public School Boards' Association of Alberta, echoed concerns that trustees were never consulted before the bill was introduced. She also pointed out what many see as an unfair double standard: while the minister could name public schools, francophone and Catholic schools would be exempt from that power.
"Trustees have legitimate questions about what problems the government is trying to fix," Stewart said.
The Government's Response
Minister Nicolaides has defended the bill, stating that the provincial government is ultimately responsible for the education system's success and needs stronger oversight mechanisms. In a statement to CBC, he dismissed concerns about eliminating school boards as "completely baseless" and "irresponsible."
The minister noted that Catholic and francophone schools retain different legal and constitutional rights, which is why they would be treated differently under the legislation.
A Wider Trend
Alberta's debate reflects a growing pattern across Canada. Nova Scotia eliminated elected school boards entirely in 2018. Ontario recently passed legislation that gave its education minister greater power to take over boards, with the province already removing elected trustees and assuming control of eight school boards.
Alberta currently has 63 school boards, 42 of which are public school authorities. Trustees are elected every four years during municipal elections.
As Bill 25 moves through the legislature, the outcome will likely shape the future of local education governance in the province.
This article is based on reporting by CBC Calgary. Read the original story at CBC News.