Provincial funding has chronically fallen short of what it costs to run public schools in Canada's largest city. Here's what the numbers show.
Sources: FAO Ontario · CCPA · OPSBA · The Local · CBC News · Auditor General of Ontario
Real per-student funding has declined every year since Doug Ford took office in 2018, even as the government claims record nominal spending. When adjusted for inflation, each student receives $1,500 less than they did in 2018–19.
Ontario Core Education Funding per student, inflation-adjusted to 2024–25 dollars. Dashed line shows what 2018–19 funding would be worth if it had kept pace with inflation.
Sources: FAO Ontario (2025 Spending Plan Review) · CCPA (Aug 2024) · OPSBA (Jun 2025). Values in 2024–25 CAD, CPI-adjusted.
See the cuts at your child's school
Building Better Schools tracks individual budget cuts by school since 2018. Search by name to see what's been lost.
Auditor General's finding (Dec 2024): A review of TDSB finances found no evidence of frivolous spending. Provincial repair and maintenance funding was underfunded by approximately 46%, directly contributing to the board's $4.3B repair backlog.
The TDSB's funding crisis is not new — it traces to 1997, when the Harris government removed boards' ability to supplement provincial grants with local property taxes. Every government since has underspent.
Selected TDSB funding gaps (structural shortfalls vs. actual costs) and cut packages approved by the board or imposed by the province. Values in millions of Canadian dollars.
Sources: CCPA · The Local · CBC News · Wikipedia / TDSB history. Gaps reflect structural shortfalls; cuts reflect approved reductions. Some years overlap.
Harris removes boards' ability to levy local property taxes and cuts over $2B in annual K–12 funding. Dozens of TDSB school closings announced within months.
TDSB refuses to pass a balanced budget. Appointed supervisor eliminates secretarial and counsellor positions, cuts outdoor and adult education programs.
Gap hits $109M in 2012, grows by $50M in 2013 and $30M in 2014 under the Liberal government. Music instructor programs cut.
IB program eliminated. Itinerant music instructors cut by 25%. Class sizes increased as teacher positions are reduced.
Caretaking hours, maintenance, classroom supplies, support staff reduced over five years. Annual deficits run $201M (2023–24) and $221M (2022–23).
Proposed cuts include closing school pools (86 aquatic instructor positions) and deep reductions to equity programs. Province appoints financial investigator, threatens second takeover.