BLOG 6 - UNDERFUNDING OF PUBLIC EDUCATION (15 August 2025)

"The provincial government’s persistent underfunding and cumulative funding gaps... are likely the main cause of deficits in these and other boards. This financial crisis is not a sudden problem—it has been years in the making.”

(Ricardo Tranjan, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA): May 2024 statement)  

In my last blog, I explained some of the internal reasons why the TVDSB deficit increased from $7.6 million (in June 2024) to $32 million (in June 2025). Here I’m going to explain the external, broader reasons why that deficit quadrupled over the course of the year at the TVDSB. The bottom line is that there is simply not enough money provided to school boards from the provincial government to run our schools. Let’s look more carefully at this situation.  

First, Ontario school boards are given money from the provincial government each year to run our schools. The main funding is called per pupil funding and it has not kept pace with inflation. For example, in 2018, we received $12,282 per student, and in 2025, $14,560 per student. If the 2025 amount had been adjusted for inflation, we would have received about $15,000, so we have a gap of about $400/student. Implications for the TVDSB? We are underfunded by $32 million (80,000 students x $400)   Second, statutory benefits (CPP/EI) are underfunded.

Like all employers, school boards are required to pay statutory benefits. CPP has been gradually increasing over the years as mandated by the federal government. The provincial government has not provided funding to cover these increases and this is costing school boards money. Implications for the TVDSB? = We are underfunded over $13 million annually for statutory CPP and EI costs that we have to pay for.  

Third, we don’t have enough funding for the rising costs of replacing staff when they are absent. At the TVDSB, in 2024/25, the costs of supply teachers and educational assistants (EAs) surged to $35.2 million—up by $12.8 million from the previous year—due to rising sick leave and short‑term disability claims. These costs are significantly underfunded. The government provides coverage for a certain number of sick days/year (about 5), but that’s not nearly enough Implications for the TVDSB? We are underfunded by over $16 million in costs we have to pay for to cover the salaries of supply/occasional teachers and EAs.  

Fourth, despite being “protected funding” special education funding is among the most pressing funding challenges facing school boards. Every single board in Ontario is experiencing such increased special education demand that they are forced to spend significantly more on special education than the amount that they receive from the government. See the chart below on the special education funding gap among western Ontario school boards. Implications for the TVDSB? We currently have a special education funding gap of more than $23 million. ‍ ‍

Fifth, underfunding of student transportation in many boards across the province has also created significant challenges. Boards report rising fuel costs, service demands, hiring of additional bus monitors, that are not matched by funding increases. This has led to route cuts, service delays, and budget overruns, especially in rural and growing communities. Implications for the TVDSB?We have a transportation funding gap of about $3 million/year; that are costs not covered by funding from the provincial government. So, let’s do some math. $32+$13+$16+ $23 + $3 million = $87 million shortfall in funding from the provincial government each year.  

And that is why the TVDSB and 30 other school boards in Ontario (out of 72) are running deficit budgets. It is not because of mismanagement or lack of accountability among elected school board trustees. It’s because we simply do not get enough money from the Ontario provincial government to run our schools to support student achievement and well-being, which is at the heart of what we do as elected school board trustees.