Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Trustees approved a $3.5 Billion operating budget for the 2024-25 school year during a Board Meeting yesterday evening.
The 2024-25 budget prioritizes investments in key areas that directly support students. This includes:
- Maintaining more than 350 school-based staff positions
- Maintaining budgets that directly support equitable outcomes (e.g. Model Schools)
- Maintaining Special Education investments
- Maintaining school budgets
A number of cost saving measures were identified for the 2024-25 school year to balance the budget, including a reduction of $17 million for Central Staff ($5 million), School Operations ($5 million), and Replacement Costs for Sick Leave ($10.5 million that will be attained through initiatives in support of staff attendance). TDSB will also use $27.5 million in Proceeds of Disposition (money received upon the sale of TDSB property) to offset operating costs. In addition, the Board will request the use of an additional $500,000 in Proceeds of Disposition while it works toward more sustainable solutions for some historical programs.
Throughout the past year, the TDSB has advocated to the Ministry of Education and the Government of Ontario for adequate funding support that meets the unique needs of students and schools across Toronto. This advocacy will continue.
For more information on the TDSB’s 2024-25 budget, please see the approved Final 2024-25 Budget Estimates Report.
Quick Facts
- The Education Act requires school boards to pass and submit a balanced operating budget to the Ministry of Education by June 30 of each year.
- Budgets align both human and financial resources to system priorities.
- School-based staffing was approved by the Board in March 2024, representing $2.3B or approximately 65% of the entire budget.
“As Trustees, our priority must be to focus our resources to support the academic success and well-being of all TDSB students. Through a commitment to finding efficiencies where possible outside of the classroom and our ability to use one-time funding, we have done just that. But make no mistake, we must continue to advocate to the government to fix our structural deficit and fund the true operating costs in the City of Toronto and the unique populations we serve.”
- Rachel Chernos Lin, Chair, TDSB
“This approved operational budget continued to sustain and enhance our academic programs to meet the needs of students through maintaining critical positions and programs. While the TDSB’s structural deficit presents a significant challenge, staff will continue to pursue operational efficiencies.”
- Colleen Russell-Rawlins, Director of Education, TDSB