Alberta school boards should be able to balance their books without sacrificing teaching positions or quality of instruction, says the education minister.

In his sternest direction to date since the provincial budget was released Thursday, Minister Thomas Lukaszuk said the 3.4 per cent boost to school operating budgets and one per cent hike to basic instruction grants is enough to meet the needs of all students.

He also refuted concerns from groups like the Alberta School Boards Association and Alberta Teachers’ Association that educators will be first to go this year when boards are staring at a bottom line that doesn’t add up.

“There better not be deficits,” Lukaszuk said Sunday. “The fact is the budget is growing significantly … This budget is an educator’s dream budget.”

Trustees with both the Calgary Board of Education and Calgary Catholic School District have kept tight-lipped about what this year’s education budget means for local schools, but Edmonton public board chair Dave Colburn admits he has concerns.

“What hasn’t been given a lot of consideration is we are in negotiations for teachers’ contracts … contracts often bring to the table an added cost,” he said.