For FSD, the numbers are headed back to class.

The Foothills School Division board of trustees approved its 2026-27 operating budget on May 27, with spending planned to exceed revenue as the division focuses on class sizes, curriculum work and inclusive education.

The budget is guided by FSD’s 2024-29 Education Plan. Board chair Theresa Letendre said trustees aimed to align resources with priorities for students and families while considering the long-term needs of communities served by the division.

FSD is budgeting $104.48 million in revenue and $105.57 million in expenses using the Adjusted Enrolment Method. The division says it will remain above Alberta’s minimum reserve requirement, which requires school boards to hold operating reserves of at least one per cent of expenditures based on their most recent audited financial statements.

The division plans to spend approximately $80.7 million on staffing, about 75 per cent of budgeted expenditures. Other planned spending includes $3.36 million for custodial services, $14.96 million for contracts, services and supplies, and $6.55 million for capital and debt servicing.

FSD projects 7,406 kindergarten-to-Grade 12 students in 2026-27, down 2.2 per cent from 7,573 students in 2025-26. The division says enrolment has declined 8.36 per cent since the 2022-23 school year, and it hopes to increase enrolment through Foothills Digital School expansion and continued program development.

The division’s capital priorities include proposed new schools in Okotoks and High River. The Okotoks proposal is for a 900-student K-9 school, while the High River proposal is for a school in the Spitzee Crossing development with the grade configuration still to be determined.

FSD also listed nine modernization priorities, including Riley Middle School, Turner Valley School, C. Ian McLaren School, Cayley School, Joe Clark School, Big Rock School and Longview School.

A separate new Grade 10-12 high school in Okotoks, announced by FSD in February 2025, is being developed with Alberta Infrastructure, the Town of Okotoks and the project’s engineering, design and consulting firm. The division expects occupancy in April 2029.

FSD said budget planning was shaped by feedback from education partners, including calls for manageable class sizes, literacy and numeracy supports, services for diverse learners and resources for curriculum implementation. Superintendent Chris Fuzessy said the budget and education plan reflect what the division heard from families, students and staff.