The following information was created in preparation for the Ontario Public School Boards' Association Advocacy Day at the Ontario Legislature and provides key information about the TDSB and current issues facing the Board.
Toronto District School Board (TDSB) At A Glance (November 2022)
Students (Total: 236,073)
-
180,519 elementary students
-
55,554 secondary students
-
2,500 international students
-
100,000 Continuing Education students
-
27,000 students are enrolled in Immersion and Extended French programs
-
24% were born outside of Canada
-
There are over 120 languages spoken by TDSB students and their families
Student Racial Backgrounds
White (29%), South Asian (22%), East Asian (14%), Mixed (12%), Black (11%), Middle
Eastern (6%), Southeast Asian (4%), Latin American (2%), Indigenous (0.3%)
Student Faith/Religion/Creed
Christianity (33%), no religion (29%), Islam (19%), Hinduism (8%), Buddhism (4%),
other (4%), Judaism (2%)
Student Family Socioeconomic Status
In June 2022, the estimated median family income for all K-12 students was $105,124.
Thirty-eight percent of all TDSB students have an estimated family income of less than
$70,000, 27% of all students have an estimated family income of less than $60,000 and
17% of TDSB students have an estimated family income of less than $50,000.
Governance
22 Democratically Elected Trustees represent public school supporters in Toronto.
Staff
-
14,844 permanent teachers (10,480 Elementary; 4,364 Secondary)
-
6,726 occasional teachers (4,764 Elementary; 1,962 Secondary)
-
12,967 permanent support staff and 7,457 supply/casual employees
-
967 permanent Continuing Education teachers (345 Elementary; 622 Secondary)
-
105 occasional Continuing Education teachers (7 Elementary; 98 Secondary) Schools
-
473 Elementary schools (including 1 Elementary/Secondary First Nations School, 18 Elementary Alternative schools, 6 Special Education self-contained schools)
-
110 Secondary schools (including 1 Elementary/Secondary Alternative school, 20
-
Secondary Alternative schools, 4 Caring and Safe Schools Programs, 5 Adult/EdVance
-
Programs, 2 Native Learning Centres, 6 Special Education self-contained schools, and one virtual secondary school)
Operating Budget
In June 2022, the TDSB approved a budget of $3.4B to support student learning and
well-being. The budget included additional investments in a number of key areas,
including mental health, special education, student re-engagement, reading
assessments, health and safety, and school operations and ventilation.
Current Issues
Education Development Charges
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) continues to advocate for access to Education
Development Charges (EDCs) as a source of revenue. This would enable us to sustain our
ability to make adequate investments in our schools as development continues in the city.
The TDSB does not currently qualify for EDCs because it has excess capacity when assessed
on a district-wide basis, regardless of significant pressures and challenges faced in many
neighbourhood schools. However, city intensification plans mean that many neighbourhoods
are growing and putting additional pressure on schools in these areas that are already full.
Toronto City Planning figures indicate that approximately 290,000 residential units are in the
review process or under construction, which could generate EDC revenue of over $300 million in funding for school improvements.
On November 8, 2019, the Ministry of Education issued a memorandum (2019 B20) to Directors of Education notifying them of the conclusion of the Ministry’s review of the EDC framework and amendments made to the Education Act and Ontario Regulation 20/98. The amendments provide school boards that are already eligible to collect EDCs with
increased flexibility on how to use the funds by:
-
Allowing school boards to use EDCs to support lower-cost alternatives to site acquisition such as leases (Alternative Projects); and
-
Allowing school boards to make agreements with developers to forgo EDCs in exchange for obtaining a lease, real property or other type of benefit to address pupil accommodation (Localized Education Development Agreements).
-
However, there has been no change to the eligibility criteria that qualify school boards to collect EDCs. Consequently, the changes do not benefit school boards like the TDSB that have surplus space when measured across the school system as a whole.
-
TDSB has asked the Ontario Government to:
-
Amend the Education Development Charges regulation (Ontario Reg. 20/98)
-
Under the Education Act to allow the TDSB to collect EDCs.
For more information:
www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Accountability/Renewal-Needs-Backlog-and-Facility-Condition-Index
/Education-Development-Charges
Secondary Program Review
For the first time ever, the Toronto District School Board is reviewing all secondary schools at
once with the vision to ensure all students have equitable access to programs and
opportunities – as close to home as possible.
The Secondary Program Review addresses both under- and over-utilized schools, with an
overall vision of fewer schools with strong programming and increased access to courses that
support all pathways. In order to achieve that, the Board will consider potential consolidation
and/or relocation of schools, repurposing secondary school buildings to address other system
needs, and different models of school organisation (e.g. full-year programming).
As part of the process, the TDSB has consulted with parents/guardians, students, staff,
Trustees and community members about Secondary Programming through an online survey
and public meetings.
The TDSB has asked the Ontario Government to:
-
Lift the moratorium on school closures; and
-
Provide appropriate funding for improvements to school space in order to implement secondary school reform across the system to ensure student achievement and well-being.
For more information: www.tdsb.on.ca/High-School/Secondary-Program-Review
Renewal Needs Backlog
Even with the additional renewal funds from the provincial government, the TDSB Renewal
Needs Backlog (RNB) sits at approximately $3.9 billion as of January 2019 and continues to
rise.
Approximately 50% of our 582 schools are over 60 years old and building components
continue to age requiring major repairs or replacement.
Without additional funding from government and/or a reduction, the backlog will grow
approximately $0.6 Billion per year:
-
January 2020: $4.5 Billion
-
January 2021: $4.8 Billion
-
January 2022: $5.0 Billion
-
January 2023: $5.2 Billion
It is crucial that the province commit to providing predictable and sustainable funding for school
repairs so that the TDSB can continue implementing its long-term plan for renewal and lower
its renewal needs backlog.
In addition, we should consider other financing models to build new schools as well as
investments in energy efficient school projects such as heating/ventilation, doors and windows.
The TDSB has encouraged the Ministry to:
-
Establish a working group, comprised of school board representatives, the ministries of Education, Finance, and Ontario government agencies such as Infrastructure Ontario and include parent groups dedicated to improving schools, such as Fix Our Schools, to identify additional viable funding sources. The TDSB has asked the Ontario Government to:
For more information:
www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Accountability/Renewal-Needs-Backlog-and-Facility-Condition-Index
Additional Recommendations to the Ministry of Education
can be hired. This would help stabilise system-wide operations and allow us to focus on
long-term modernization and transformation work.
Language education at all Ontario school boards by hiring Indigenous language
speakers while exempting them from the requirement of a teaching certification.
-
In May 2022, requested that the Education Act 1990 be amended to allow student trustees the right to independently move and second motions for consideration by the Board and allow student trustees to be counted toward quorum at meetings of the Board.
-
Increase funding for student nutrition programs and work with the Federal Government to establish a fully funded National School Food Program. The TDSB and City of Toronto called for funding in 2020 and this call was reiterated by the City in May 2022.
TDSB OPSBA Board of Directors Members
Michelle Aarts
Ward 16
Beaches-East York
michelle.aarts@tdsb.on.ca
Alexis Dawson
Ward 9
Davenport and Spadina -
Fort York
alexis.dawson@tdsb.on.ca
Deborah Williams
Ward 10
University - Rosedale and
Toronto Centre
deborah.williams@tdsb.on.ca