Edmonton Public Schools

Edmonton Public Schools
District information
Superintendent	Edgar Schmidt
Budget	939.5M (Proposed)

Edmonton Public Schools is the largest public school district in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and the sixth largest school district in Canada. The district offers a variety of alternative and special needs programs, and many are offered in multiple locations to improve accessibility for students. As a public system, Edmonton Public Schools accepts all students who meet age and residency requirements.

Size

Edmonton Public Schools operates 199 schools. The proposed operating budget is $939.5 million for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. There is a total of 124 elementary schools, 26 elementary/junior high schools, 6 elementary/junior/senior high schools, 27 junior high schools, 3 junior/senior highs, 13 senior high schools, and 18 other educational programs are offered.

Over 83,000 students attend Edmonton Public Schools and there are over 7,000 full time staff equivalencies.

History

Edmonton's first schoolhouse was built in 1881. The wooden frame building is situated on the same grounds as historic McKay Avenue School. Now known as the 1881 Schoolhouse, it was the first free public school in Alberta. While in use, until 1904, it sometimes served as a courthouse and meeting hall. Also a Provincial Historic Resource, the little school was restored as an Edmonton Public Schools' centennial project in 1982 and moved up from its river valley home of many years to within a few hundred meters of its original location.

McKay Avenue School

Edmonton Public Schools Archives and Museum is located in historic McKay Avenue School.The building's cornerstone was laid in 1904 by the Governor General of Canada, Lord Minto. The year 1904 marked the beginning of an important new era of growth and prosperity in Alberta, and the building was designed to reflect this importance and inspire awe and grandeur. The Romanesque-style design included unique features such as the Ionic Romanesque pillared entranceways. 

McKay Avenue School served as the site of the first two sessions of the Alberta Legislature (1906 and 1907). It was in the third floor Assembly Hall that the important decision was made to make Edmonton the capital of Alberta.

McKay Avenue School was designated a Provincial Historic Resource in 1976. The venerable brick building had played an important role in the educational, social and political development of Edmonton and Alberta, but when in 1983 the enrolment fell to a low of 59 students the school was closed. At that time, in recognition of its importance in the early history of Edmonton and of Alberta, a history-conscious school board made a momentous decision:McKay Avenue School would be preserved to reflect the school district's past and to pass its history on to future generations.

Site-Based Decision Making

Edmonton Public Schools pioneered the concept of site-based decision making (decentralization) in Canada.  Site-based decision making gives principals, who are ultimately responsible for everything that goes on in their schools, the authority, the financial resources and the flexibility to make decisions based on the individual needs of their schools. 

In 1976, the district initiated a pilot project in seven of its schools and in 1980 had expanded the concept to all of its schools. Today, school-based management is functioning successfully in other educational jurisdictions across Canada.

Programs

Edmonton Public Schools offers Regular programs, Alternative programs and Special education programs.

Special education programs are available at select schools and include programs for students who are Gifted, students who have Behaviour Disabilities, Cognitive Disabilities, Diagnosed Learning Disabilities and Academic Delays.

There are more than 30 Alternative programs available with a focus on a specific type of arts, athletics, language, faith, culture or teaching philosophy. This includes: Aboriginal education, Cogito, American Sign Language, Hockey Training, Waldorf and International Baccalaureate.

Early Years Programming

Early Education

This program supports children with mild/moderate and severe disabilities, aged 2½ to 4½ years. Programming focuses on cognitive, self-help and social skills, speech and language, and motor development. Parents and staff work together to support each child.

Early Learning

This program supports children 3½ to 4½ years of age who are English Language Learners or in need of specialized supports and services. Programming focuses on developing communication and co-operative learning skills, and is available to children attending their designated school.

Kindergarten

Children who are four years of age on or before March 1 of that year, may register in Kindergarten for the upcoming school year. Children may attend their designated school or apply to a school or program of choice. Kindergarten is offered half-day in the mornings or afternoons at most elementary schools, and full-day at some elementary schools for children living in the designated attendance area.

Governance

A group of nine elected trustees sit on the Board of Trustees for Edmonton Public Schools. Each trustee represents one ward in the city. They are elected every three years, in the regular municipal election. In the election, Edmonton voters can only vote for a trustee to one (not both) of the two main school boards. The last election was held in October 2010. The public and Catholic systems operate independently of each other, and are both under the direct authority of the provincial government of Alberta.

See also

• List of Alberta school boards
• Edmonton Catholic School District

External links

• Edmonton Public Schools' official website