Update: August 6, 2020
At today’s special meeting of the Toronto District School Board, Trustees approved the 2020-21 operating budget, which includes additional investments to support the safe and effective return to school in September.
Given the uncertainty around how the pandemic will progress, COVID-19 budget impacts have only been included for the first four months of the school year. The total impact (to both expenditures and revenues) for September to December 2020 is projected to be $22.5M.
Areas that have been allocated additional resources for the first fourth months of the year include: personal protective equipment ($1.5M), caretaking and cleaning supplies ($4.2M), health and safety staff (0.3M), technology ($4.9M), special education supports ($2.1M), professional development ($2.6M) and translation services (0.2M).
As the TDSB’s projected deficit ($29.3M) is primarily due to additional COVID-19 costs, the budget plan uses reserves to offset the deficit and balance the budget. As required by the Ministry, a deficit recovery plan has been developed.
On July 30, the Ministry of Education announced $309M of additional COVID-19 funding across the province. While this funding helps offset some COVID-19 costs, the TDSB continues to request that the Ministry provides the additional funding required to support all costs of re-opening safely next year.
For more information about the approved budget, please see the news release that was issued last night.
Previous Budget Updates
Update: August 5, 2020
The TDSB’s 2020-21 Operating Budget was approved by committee members of the Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee meeting on August 5. The 2020-21 Operating Budget will now be presented at a Special Board meeting on August 6 for final approval.
The 2020-21 Operating Budget report also contains the following supporting information:
- Appendix A – detailed department-by-department breakdown of the operating budget for 2020-21
- Appendix B – detailed breakdown and explanation for Year 2 saving from the 2019-2020 budget
- Appendix C – description of the revenue and expenditure changes to the base operating budget for 2020-21
Staff continue to recommend no reductions or changes to current operations so that all efforts can be focussed on re-opening the system safely, with staff and student health and well-being prioritized. As noted in the report, staff continue to recommend an additional $22.5M in COVID-19 related costs for the first four months of the school year (September-December) to ensure that schools can open safely for all students and staff. Since the projected operating deficit ($29.3M) is primarily due to additional COVID-19 costs, staff are recommending the use of reserves to offset the projected deficit.
The Ministry of Education has recently announced funding to support the re-opening of schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While this funding helps offset some of the COVID-19 costs, the TDSB continues to request that the Ministry of Education provides the additional funding that is required to support all costs of re-opening safely next year.
Update: July 15, 2020
At the Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee (FBEC) meeting on July 15, staff presented an updated Financial Position and Draft Operating Budget for 2020-21 report that was revised based on Trustee feedback with additional information regarding COVID-19 costs and funding and financials risks for next year. Staff continue to recommend no reductions or changes to current operations so that all efforts can be focussed on re-opening the system safely, with staff and student health and well-being prioritized. As noted in the report, staff continue to recommend an additional $22.5M in COVID-19 related costs for the first four months of the school year (September-December) to ensure that schools can open safely for all students and staff. Please note, this does not include any additional costs (e.g. staffing) associated with the Ministry-approved reopening model that is chosen. Since the projected operating deficit is primarily due to additional COVID-19 costs, staff are recommending the use of reserves to offset the projected deficit. However, the TDSB continues to request that the Ministry of Education provides additional funding to support school boards as they navigate opening schools back up safely next year.
Read the 2020-21 Financial Position and Draft Operating Budget: Revised Based on Trustee Feedback report for more information. The final draft budget will be presented at a Special FBEC meeting on August 5, and then a Special Board meeting on August 6.
Also at this meeting, Trustees passed two motions regarding next year’s operating budget. The first motion is to ask staff to reconsider current budget recommendations to charge fees for the Secondary IB Diploma Program. The second motion asks staff to reconsider last year’s budget reduction to Student Support Services so that students are supported in the return to school this fall. Both motions passed at FBEC and will be considered by the Board of Trustees on August 6.
Update: July 6, 2020
The TDSB’s Financial Position and Draft Operating Budget for 2020-21 is being presented to Trustees at a Special FBEC meeting on Tuesday, July 7. Staff are not recommending any reductions or changes to current operations so that all efforts can be focussed on re-opening the system safely, with staff and student health and well-being prioritized. That said, staff are recommending an additional $22.5M in Covid-19 related costs for the first four months of the new budget (September-December). Since the projected operating deficit is primarily due to additional COVID-19 costs, staff are recommending the use of reserves to offset the projected deficit, and are requesting that the Ministry of Education provides additional funding to support school boards as they navigate opening schools back up safely next year.
Read the full 2021 Financial Projection and Draft Operating Budget for more information.
We are committed to a transparent budget process and welcome all feedback from the community. If you have questions or comments to share, or would like more information about next year’s budget, please join us at a TDSB Budget – Virtual Town Hall Meeting on July 8 (1 and 7 p.m.) or depute at the upcoming FBEC Committee on July 9.
Update: June 19, 2020:
Today, the Ministry of Education released the Grants for Student Needs memorandum for the 2020-21 school year. TDSB staff are working on a detailed analysis of the GSN announcement and its impact on the TDSB’s budget. A report will be presented at the Special Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee meeting on June 23 outlining the TDSB’s updated financial position.
Read the Grants for Student Needs Update from the FBEC meeting on June 23.
Staff’s initial analysis of the overall GSN announcement did not see any significant changes, other than an additional investment for mental health and technology; funding to support the negotiated collective agreements; additional funding to support supply costs; a reduction to transportation fuel costs for 2019-20 but no significant changes to transportation in 2020-21; and, funding to offset educational software licensing.
It is important to note at this time no additional funding for cleaning and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has been provided in the GSN for COVID19 increased costs. That said, staff continue to identify these items as part of our requirements for school reopening. See report presented to FBEC on June 9 - Budget Timelines Update and Transition Supports for School Re-opening.