Rocky View Schools Approves Minimal Fee Increases for 2025-26

Parents of students in Rocky View Schools (RVS) can expect only minor changes to school fees for the upcoming 2025–26 academic year, following a decision by the Board of Trustees during its April meeting.
Despite rising costs for materials, equipment, transportation, and program delivery, trustees approved a modest fee adjustment—one that maintains 80 per cent of current school fees at the same level. Of the 20 per cent of fees that did increase, fewer than half went up by the maximum allowed: $10 or five per cent.
“Costs are what costs are, and fees may need to fluctuate to cover those,” said RVS Superintendent Greg Luterbach. “But our schools have done a great job staying within reasonable limits.”
Optional Programs of Choice, such as the Building Futures and Mechanics Training Centre, remain unchanged. These programs provide students with unique learning opportunities and real-world experiences—something the board said it was committed to protecting.
Some concerns were raised. Our Ward 1 Trustee Shali Bazuik supported the motion but voiced frustration that fees exist at all, especially when they act as a barrier to students pursuing courses they’re passionate about—or, in some cases, require to graduate.
“Although I can appreciate that there’s a mechanism in place for those who can’t afford to pay, we’ll never really know how many kids and families avoid a program or a class simply because of cost,” Bazuik said.
Families who qualify for the federal GST credit can apply to have optional course fees waived. However, Bazuik noted that not all families in need will meet that threshold, especially those on the margins.
Meanwhile, 117 outdated fees were removed from the system, and 106 new ones were added, largely due to changes in grade configurations. For instance, in Airdrie, some schools that previously charged Grade 9 fees are no longer required to do so—while others, now serving Grade 9 students due to restructuring, have added those fees.
The updated 2025–26 school fee schedule will be available on both the Rocky View Schools website and individual school websites by the end of June.