New Australian charter school works to open in Calgary in fall 2026

Australia-based BUSY School, which has 10 locations in both Australia and New Zealand, is planning to open its first school in Calgary by 2026.

Calgary students in Grades 10, 11, and 12 could attend a new charter school planning to open in September 2026.

Australian not-for-profit, BUSY School is working on a declaration campaign, striving to open its inaugural Canadian campus in Calgary in the fall.

“Once a kid doesn’t complete high school life gets a little bit tougher,” said Stephen Riley, chief executive officer of the BUSY Group North America.

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Riley did not complete high school, but he knew he would be okay since he had an immense amount of support.

“But to know that there are kids out there that are not necessarily going to be okay without this kind of support is really our driving force,” he said.

BUSY School model

The first BUSY School opened in Queensland, Australia, in 2020 and now there are 10 campuses across Australia and New Zealand.

Riley explains they are hyper-focused on students and fostering a safe space conducive to learning.

The moment a student enrolls, they are interviewed about what they want and need, based on their previous experiences.

“Our schooling is really there to work very, very closely with individual kids, and those that particularly want a pathway to employment or see that as their future,” he said.

Students address staff by their first names, they have uniforms with hoods that they can put up, signaling when they are feeling overwhelmed and work-based learning and counseling are built into programming.

In an email to CTV News, the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) said “approaches similar to the BUSY model are being used in several public schools in Calgary.”

“However, rather than supporting the creation of charter schools that can pick and choose which students they accept, and which are not governed by elected school boards, the province should focus on investing public funds in the public education system,” the ATA said.

Declaration campaign underway

BUSY School is in the application process with the Alberta government for a charter school, already gathering 70 of their desired 100 signatures.

If approved, they will choose a campus location that is easily accessible and start hiring staff. Once that’s done, it will open enrollment to as many as 400 students.

The ATA says personnel for a brand new school could be an obstacle in the current conditions.

It says one-in-three teachers are choosing to leave the profession in recent years.

“While the new charter school will likely be able to recruit teachers—retaining them will be the challenge.”

‘Important role’

In a statement send to CTV News, Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides said public charter schools play an “important role” in providing innovative educational options that enhance student learning and expand school choice for families.

“The deadline to submit applications for a September 2026 start date is September 15, 2025. Once a completed application is received, the department will issue a decision to the applicant within 90 days. We continue to work closely with all potential public charter school applicants to support them through the accreditation process and ensure a high-quality application review.”