Alberta announces $200M for 189 new modular classrooms across the province
Posted Apr 17, 2026 5:49 pm.
The province says Alberta students in fast‑growing communities can expect more space in the coming years after announcing $200 million in new funding to build 189 modular classrooms.
The announcement, made Friday by Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, is part of a larger three‑year, $600‑million plan to address school overcrowding.
The new units are expected to be ready for the 2026–27 school year.
Nearly two‑thirds of the modulars will go to Calgary and Edmonton, where enrolment pressures are highest.
“Every decision is based on clear province‑wide criteria like enrolment, building use and student safety,” Nicolaides said.
The province’s plan includes 12 new washroom units, 10 replacement modulars and 29 relocations. Calgary Board of Education will receive 46 units, Calgary Catholic 12, Edmonton Catholic 31, Edmonton Public 32, and 68 more will be distributed across other growing communities.
The investment is expected to create about 5,450 student spaces in total.
CBE board chair Laura Hack emphasized that modulars function like any other classroom. Some are attached directly to school buildings, she said, and all meet provincial codes.
“By looking at it, except for the outside, you wouldn’t know that these are modular classrooms,” she said.
The province says modular classrooms typically become operational within eight to 12 months, depending on site readiness and project complexity.
