Calgary Board of Education

What Calgary Board of Education does

The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) is the public school board serving Calgary, Alberta, and the largest school district in Western Canada. Governed by an elected Board of Trustees and led by Chief Superintendent Joanne Pitman, CBE operates 251 schools across seven administrative areas and enrolled 142,402 students in the 2024-25 school year, spanning Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 alongside specialized, outreach, home education, online (CBe-learn), and unique settings programs. The organization employs more than 16,000 staff across instructional, operational, and administrative functions.

CBE's technology stack is built on a layer of vendor-supplied enterprise systems: PowerSchool for student information, D2L Brightspace as the learning management system powering CBe-learn, G Suite for Education / Google Workspace for collaboration, Microsoft Office 365 for productivity, PeopleSoft for HR, and Iris as a proprietary-feel teaching and learning application supporting student learning plans and learner profiles. Parent and student-facing services are consolidated through the MyCBE portal and SchoolMessenger mass-communication tool, with eLibrary providing cross-school library access integrated with Calgary Public Library. Wi-Fi infrastructure (CBE Wireless) is Health Canada Safety Code 6 compliant, with RF testing conducted across a sample of schools in 2014 and 2018.

CBE is a non-taxable government entity rather than a commercial enterprise; it receives more than $1.5 billion CAD annually in funding from the Province of Alberta and supplements this with school fees (subject to waivers) and community fundraising via EducationMatters, which supported 160+ schools in 2025. The business model is therefore closer to a publicly administered operating budget than a revenue-generating venture. The organization is governed under the provincial Protection of Privacy Act and Access to Information Act, and operates within a regulatory mandate that defines its service area, student assignment, and funding framework.

Name

Calgary Board of Education

Legal name

Calgary Board of Education

Website

https://cbe.ab.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Calgary Board of Education is Calgary's public school board, operating 251 schools across seven administrative areas and serving 142,402 Pre-K through Grade 12 students, funded primarily by more than $1.5 billion in annual provincial government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH), District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ), After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• School district services
• Online learning programs
• Student information systems
• Educational technology platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Provincial Government Funding: The CBE receives more than $1.5 billion every year from the Alberta provincial government to educate students. This represents the primary funding source for all educational operations, including school operations, staff compensation, facilities maintenance, and educational programs.
2. School Fees and Waivers: The CBE collects school fees for various services including lunch supervision, transportation, and activity fees. Fee waivers are available for qualifying families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Calgary Board of Education operates Calgary's public K-12 school system, delivering Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 education to 142,402 students across 251 schools organized into seven administrative areas. Core services include classroom instruction, specialized education programs, unique settings, outreach, home education, online learning through CBe-learn, student transportation, and lunch supervision. The district is primarily funded by the Alberta provincial government with supplementary school fees for specific services, and is governed by an elected Board of Trustees.

Product overview

The Calgary Board of Education operates a unified platform of educational technology products and services across 251 schools serving over 142,000 students. The core student-facing ecosystem consists of MyCBE (parent/student portal), Brightspace by D2L (learning management system powering CBe-learn online school), Iris (student learning plans), G Suite for Education (collaboration tools), eLibrary (library management), and SchoolMessenger (communication). Supporting systems include PowerSchool (student information), PeopleSoft (HR management), SmartFind Express (substitute teacher booking), and PowerTeacher (teacher gradebook). These products integrate with Microsoft Office 365 for productivity, providing a comprehensive K-12 educational technology stack.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Public Education Program Core tuition-free public education delivered across 251 schools from Pre-Kindergarten (40 students) through Grade 12 (35,902 students), serving 142,402 students for the 2024-25 school year. Includes regular classroom instruction, specialized education programs, and preparation for post-secondary success.
• CBe-learn (Online Learning School) CBE's dedicated online learning school providing virtual K-12 education through the Brightspace by D2L learning platform. Offers flexible online education options for students who require non-traditional learning arrangements.
• Student Transportation Services Bus and transit transportation services for eligible CBE students, operated in coordination with Southland Transportation and Calgary Transit. Includes general and specialized transportation routes with safety oversight from the Safe Student Travel Advisory Group (SSTAG).
• Lunch Supervision Services School-day lunch supervision service for CBE students, available for a fee with waivers available for qualifying families.
• Specialized Education and Unique Settings Programs Specialized education programs and Unique Settings serving students with diverse learning needs, including program-specific supports delivered within the CBE school system.
• CBE Home Education Program Home-based education option for families choosing to educate their children at home while remaining enrolled with CBE, with separate Home Online Learning track also available.
• Chinook Learning Services Continuing education and adult learning services operated by CBE, including the Career and Technology Centre, serving learners beyond the K-12 system.
• Outreach Programs Outreach education programs serving students requiring alternative engagement models outside the regular classroom, counted within CBE's total enrollment of 142,402 students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3% enrollment growth (4,000+ students) between 2023-2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EducationMatterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EducationMatters is CBE's dedicated fundraising partner that supports student success across the school district. In 2025, the partnership supported over 160 schools through various fundraising initiatives and programs.
• City of CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBE participates in the City of Calgary Energy Benchmarking program as part of its sustainability initiatives and commitment to environmental stewardship.
• EcoSchools CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBE was highlighted as a success story in a paper published by EcoSchools Canada regarding waste management practices across K-12 public sector education facilities.
• Calgary Police ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalgary Police Service participates in the Safe Student Travel Advisory Group (SSTAG) and Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) to help improve student safety around schools. The SSTAG has completed site visits and reviewed concerns at over 50 schools.
• Southland TransportationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSouthland Transportation provides bus transportation services for CBE students as part of the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) and represents local carriers in transportation planning.
• Alberta School Councils' Association (ASCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Board of Trustees pays for ASCA memberships for any CBE school councils. ASCA provides support and services to school councils across the province.
• Canada Green Building CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBE schools are designed and built to LEED certification standards. The Canada Green Building Council administers the LEED rating system and certification process that CBE follows for new school construction.
• Calgary Catholic School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalgary Catholic School District participates in the Safe Student Travel Advisory Group (SSTAG) alongside CBE to collaboratively improve student safety initiatives.
• AMA - School Safety PatrolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMA (Alberta Motor Association) School Safety Patrol program participants are part of the Safe Student Travel Advisory Group (SSTAG) working to improve student safety.
• Ever ActiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEver Active Schools participates in the Safe Student Travel Advisory Group (SSTAG) to support student well-being and safety initiatives.
• Safer RoadsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafer Roads organization is part of the Safe Student Travel Advisory Group (SSTAG) focused on improving student travel safety around schools.
• Calgary Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalgary Public Library resources are accessible through CBE's eLibrary system, providing students and staff access to additional digital resources.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yyCBEdu
• Facebookfacebook.com/Calgary.CBE

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Calgary Board of Education