Ministry Announces School Board Funding, TDSB Faces Projected $54.4-Million Deficit

On Friday, April 26, the Ministry of Education released the funding for school boards, including the Toronto District School Board, known as the Grants for Student Needs (GSN). 

Following a preliminary analysis of the grants, the TDSB's funding will decrease by $21.2 million, and possibly more, for the 2019-20 school year. Overall, the Board is still projecting a shortfall of $54.4 million for the upcoming year.

For more information, please visit the TDSB Budget webpage. 

TDSB Budget Consultations

The Toronto District School Board is inviting parents/guardians and community members to provide input on the draft 2019-20 budget. The TDSB is facing a shortfall of approximately $54.4 million and trustees welcome input from the public on what they believe should be the Board’s top budget priorities.

More information, including how you can participate, is now available online.

TDSB Parents and Staff Identify Early Years, Student Success as Top Priorities

Investing in early years programming and student success should be the Toronto District School Board’s top priorities, according to parents, staff, students and community members who participated in the TDSB's recent survey on how to prioritize spending.

Seventy-five per cent of respondents ranked those two categories of investments as highest importance, followed closely by differentiated approaches to serving students, and allocating staff to support all students, which were ranked as highest importance by 74 per cent of respondents.

The full story is available online.

TDSB Calls on Province to Pause Public Health Cuts

Trustees are urging the province to pause any reductions to funding of Toronto Public Health through the 2019-2020 school year.

During a Special Board Meeting, Trustees voted to have the Chair write a letter to the Minister of Health and Long Term Care, the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, and the Minister of Education as well as Toronto Members of Provincial Parliament urging them to hold off on implementing the cuts until there can be further consultation and a full discussion about the known impacts, especially impacts on city heath services for youth. 

The full news release is available online. 

May: Asian Heritage Month and Jewish Heritage Month.

April: Sikh Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Latin-America History Month and International Day of Pink.

Budget Strategic Drivers for 2019-20 

The Board approved (15.5) the 2019-20 budget strategic drivers.

The drivers were revised and prioritized after the online community budget consultation. 

2019-2020 Projected Financial Position 

The Board received (15.4) the report 2019-2020 Projected Financial Position.

The report provides information on the projected budget shortfall and impact of the Ministry's decision to increase class sizes and the impact on high school programs and courses due to the Ministry's teacher reductions. 

Second Phase of Staffing Allocations

Trustees approved (3.1) the Second Phase of Staffing Allocations.

This phase represents the staff positions that are being filled at this time as well as the positions that have not been filled pending the Board learning how much funding will be received from the Ministry of Education’s annual Grants for Student Needs (GSN) for the 2019-20 school year. 

New Guiding Principles for the Long-Term Program and Accommodation Strategy

Trustees approved (15.5) the guiding principles for the Long-Term Program and Accommodation Strategy.

The guiding principles are grouped into two themes: Equity of Access and Efficient and Flexible Learning Space. The theme of equity of access makes a direct connection to the goals of the Multi-Year Strategic Plan and provides guidance on how this will be achieved.

Preliminary Discussion re Ontario Public School Boards’ Association 2019-20 Priorities.

The Board received (15.5) the report Preliminary Discussion on 2019-2020 Priorities.

This report provides Trustees and school boards with the opportunity to discuss and provide feedback on priorities for the upcoming year, such as student wellbeing, advancing reconciliation, trustees as leaders in public education, education funding and labour relations. 

Restrictions on Alcohol, Drug and Tobacco Use Policy: New Policy, Phase 5 

The Restrictions on Alcohol, Drug and Tobacco Use Policy was developed in response to the legalization of recreational use of cannabis in Canada on October 17, 2018 and the new legislative requirements as outlined in Ontario’s Cannabis Act with regard to use, purchase, possession, cultivation and distribution of recreational cannabis in Ontario.

The draft proposal was recently updated to reflect feedback obtained through public consultations. 

The Board approved the amended policy. (15.1).

Special Education Advisory Committee: Filling of Vacancy for Alternate Representative, Community Living, Toronto

The Board appointed (15.2) Cecilia MacIntyre to the Special Education Advisory Committee as the alternate representative for Community Living Toronto, for a term ending November 14, 2022.

Contract Awards, Facilities 

Trustees approved (15.3) the Facilities contracts listed in Appendix C.

Contract Awards, Operations 

Trustees approved (15.3) the Operations contracts listed in Appendix C. 

The next regular Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 22, 2019.