School boards say they are still facing a shortfall of $404 per student despite a boost in funding from the Ontario government.
Although the province will spend $30.3 billion on per-pupil funding in 2025-26 — a 2.6 per cent increase which is expected to meet or exceed inflation — it doesn’t make up for years where funding didn’t keep up with inflation, says the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association after conducting its own analysis of last month’s Ontario budget announcement.
“While this year and last year represent a step in the right direction, the challenging reality is that funding still falls short of closing the gap that has developed since 2018,” said OPSBA president Kathleen Woodcock. “We are also concerned by projections in the budget document that suggest education funding will plateau in the years ahead. This would be a step backward at a time when the needs of students, the demands on school boards, and cost pressures continue to rise.”