The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) will make arguments to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Divisional Court) on March 25, 2021, about changes to the Education Act to allow the TDSB to collect Education Development Charges (EDCs). The hearing will be broadcasted via YouTube and is expected to begin at 10 a.m. or shortly thereafter.

The TDSB is advocating for access to EDCs as a source of revenue to sustain the ability to make adequate investments in schools as development continues in the city. To do this, the court will need to declare that certain provisions of the Education Act are invalid.

EDCs are funds that school boards can spend on new developments. The current regulation establishes that EDCs can be used to purchase land for future school sites. However, the TDSB does not qualify for EDCs because it has excess capacity when assessed on a district-wide basis, regardless of significant pressures and challenges faced in many neighborhood schools. If the TDSB had access to EDCs, it could generate about $500 million in additional revenue over the next 15 years.

The Government of Ontario and Building Industry and Land Development Corporation will also participate in the hearing, arguing against the changes proposed by the TDSB.

For more information, please visit the TDSB webpage for Education Development Charges.

Quick Facts

· The hearing will be live broadcasted via YouTube and is expected to begin at 10 a.m. or shortly thereafter.

“For many years, the Toronto District School Board has adopted various accommodation strategies to manage enrolment growth, including redirecting students to other schools located outside the area, the use of portables, and program and school boundary changes. It’s critical that we, like other school boards, gain access to Education Development Charges to improve our system and meet growth-related infrastructure needs – for the betterment of our students, staff and community members.”

- Alexander Brown, Chair, TDSB

“In order to provide students with a high-quality education—with every opportunity for growth and success—the TDSB must continuously invest in schools, programs and the systems that support students. With access to Education Development Charges, the TDSB would be able to leverage this revenue to alleviate growth pressures from our rapidly developing city and better serve the children and adult learners of our city.”
 

- Karen Falconer, Interim Director of Education, TDSB