The Alberta Distance Learning Centre (ADLC) has begun work with Alberta school districts and its educational and community partners to identify solutions to issues arising from funding reduction in the Alberta Provincial budget of March 2013.
Currently, a distance education student in Alberta is funded at 156 per cent, of which the partner receives 100 per cent. ADLC receives 56 per cent, which is used to cover the costs associated with distance education such as teaching students, developing educational resources and learning infrastructure, and training for classroom teachers.
However the Government of Alberta tabled a budget that, effective next year, will reduce the funding to Alberta school boards partnering with ADLC. The reduction of funding equates to about $13 million, and affects about 60,000 students across the province.
Under the new funding model, school boards will be reimbursed 44 per cent of the funding for distance learning while ADLC's direct funding remains unchanged.
PHRD Board Chair Sharon Volorney said one of a number of challenges with this change, is it disproportionately impacts rural students and students with specialized learning needs.
Some school districts rely on ADLC to provide programming when the district doesn't have access to the appropriate resources, said Volorney, or when a student doesn't fit within the traditional education model.
“Rural school districts are both resource strapped and geographically challenged,” she said. “They just don't have the same access to alternatives or the ability to be flexible, and we need to be having discussions across the system about what the solution may look like.”
Since the budget changes were announced, Volorney said Pembina Hills has been diligently working towards identifying all of the issues, and trying to find some solutions.
"Our objective going forward will be to develop a funding model that we hope will eliminate any impacts to students directly, and strengthens our relationship with our educational partners," said Volorney. "Over the years ADLC has always worked towards developing 21st Century education options and reducing the costs of programming and we will continue to do so."
Pembina Hills superintendent Colleen Symyrozum-Watt, ADLC communications coordinator Jonathan Koch, and ADLC Assistant Superintendent Ray Battochio spoke of their concerns at the Barrhead Chamber of Commerce regular meeting April 18.
Symyrozum-Watt said although ADLC's partners say they value what distance education offers, they can no longer afford to partner.
"We know, having been in the business since 1997, that it costs more than 100 per cent to educate those students depending on the type of distance education you're providing," said Symyrozum-Watt. "You might think there's no hit to ADLC. Having said that, if the partners don't come, 56 per cent of zero is zero."
Though they don't fully know the impact yet, Symyrozum-Watt said it's anywhere from a 2.4 million loss, to upwards of $8 million.
Battochio said it's obvious the biggest impact is on children and their learning. Students will have less access to the courses they want to take, but how will this impact the most vulnerable?
"Students at our outreach school, small rural schools that have challenges round providing programming at all, cutting their funding to access distance education programming has a huge impact," he said.
The impact also extends beyond a child's education. The cuts will change the way ADLC delivers distance education, but also the amount of people they can afford to have working for ADLC.
From a dollar standpoint, Battochio said ADLC is one of Barrhead's largest employers with a total job salary of $6.3 million. Between the main office in Barrhead, and Westlock's satellite office, 28 teachers and 70 support staff and their families are supported directly by the program.
Symyrozum-Watt said although the government's announcement can't be undone, Pembina Hills is working each and every day, exploring ways they can do business differently.
"Our request here today is to come together as a united community in voice, and be sharing that distance education is important to anyone who wants to listen to that message," Symyrozum-Watt told the Chamber.
Chamber member Mark Myrehaug tabled as to write a letter to both education minister Jeff Johnson and MLA Maureen Kubinec, to bring up the chamber's concerns as a community.
"We shouldn't be penalized for living in rural Alberta. Not everybody wants to live in the city," added chamber member Allan Cote. "We should have a right to have education for our kids."
