The Toronto District School Board has begun the process of setting the school budget for 2025-2026. The quality of our kids’ education is on the line.
Every year, I talk to parents, teachers, and students about what’s happening in our schools. While there is so much to love about our treasured schools, I also hear about the problems. The large class sizes. Bored kids. The difficulty in getting a permanent teacher, especially a French teacher. Broken washrooms and aging buildings. These are signs of neglect.
Since the Conservatives came to power, our schools have had to do more with less money every year. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives calculated that when inflation is factored in, Ontario’s schools are operating with about $1500 less per student than they did in 2018.
The TDSB is already facing a yawning financial gap between what the ministry requires the school board to deliver and what the ministry provides them in funding.
Based on what we know so far, for 2025-2026, the TDSB is short:
· $38.5M to support students with special education needs,
· $10.9M to support student and staff mental health, safety, and well-being,
· $4.4B to fix our schools and maintain them in good repair.
We have been effective in pressuring the province to do the right thing for our kids and our schools, and we need to keep the pressure on.
I look forward to organizing with students, parents, and educators in the coming months to call for more investment in our schools for 2025-2026, not cuts. Please contact me at [email protected] or 416 535 7206 to tell us know what is happening in your school, and what you would like to do with us in response.
Some ideas to consider:
- Hold a community rally outside your school with parents, students and teachers in the morning before school drop off to raise local issues and encourage investment in Toronto schools. If you’re interested in organizing this, we can help.
- Gather petitions and share them with our office so we can read them out in the legislature.
- Attend the TDSB meetings to get an update and speak.
Upcoming TDSB meetings
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April 15 (Tuesday) Downtown Budget Town Hall (6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m) Harbord Collegiate Institute, 286 Harbord St. You can RSVP here.
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April 29 (Tuesday) TDSB Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee* (4:30 p.m) 5050 Yonge Ave and online.
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April 30 (Wednesday) TDSB Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee* (4:30 p.m) 5050 Yonge Ave and online.
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May 15 (Thursday) TDSB Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee* (4.30p.m) 5050 Yonge Ave and online.
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June 4 (Wednesday) TDSB Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee* Approval of 2025-2026 Operating and Capital Budgets. (4.30pm) 5050 Yonge Ave and online.
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June 18 (Wednesday) TDSB Board* Approval of 2025-2026 Operating and Capital Budgets (4.30pm) 5050 Yonge Ave and online.
*You can sign up to speak at the TDSB Board and Committee meetings. Here’s how you do that.