ADLC (Alberta distance learning center) has received budget cuts from the Minister of Education. This 2020-2021 school year they have a $14 million budget and next year they are cutting the budget to $7 million. For reference, last year ADLC had $18.535 million. ADLC is closing after this year because they cannot run off a $7 million budget. They are also not offering any summer courses because of this. 

ADLC has provided so many kids and adults education for over a century and having the school close can cause complications with many of the 14,000+ students enrolled in their courses. Athletes who travel a lot for their sport cannot graduate from a regular high school because they miss so much school. Students who want to graduate early and get high school over with faster cannot do that because of the way high schools in Alberta work. Young adults who dropped out of school for personal reasons cannot go back to regular schools as they are too old to go back to high school. These young adults have very little options to get their high school diplomas after they drop out. Kids who have health complications and cannot a regular school because they miss so much class or are physically unable to attend school. Kids that take longer to learn certain materials in school cannot get that extra help that ADLC provides. Students who want to take certain courses but their school doesn't offer it, (forensics, Spanish, etc) can take those classes through ADLC. Classes with low enrollment, (physics 30, math 31) principals in schools may have to have another teacher who isn't specialized in that subject will have to teach kids the subject. 

With these budget cuts, over 60 teachers will lose their jobs and 14,000+ will have to go back to a normal high where they may not be suitable to learn in that environment. Students who are enrolled in ADLC have a higher percent average overall in the classes they take compared to the average high school in Alberta. During the pandemic we are experiencing right now, ADLC is estimating that so many more students will enroll in their courses because parents are scared to let their kids go to school during these times. 

I have taken ADLC for my grade 9 year and it was better than any jr. high school I could've gone to in Calgary. I am currently taking ELA 20-1 through ADLC because my school's class is full. I took physic 20 in grade 10 through ADLC and did better than I would have in a regular classroom, I was also offered a summer extension to help better my grades and finish the class at my own pace. 

I would like to ask the Alberta government and the Alberta education system to please give more funding to these schools, as well as other alternative schools so kids and young adults can receive the education that best suits them and their learning.