Ontario opposition grills Ford government over education spending

As multiple Ontario school boards brainstorm ways to dig themselves out of multi-million dollar deficits, Premier Doug Ford's government faced heated questions from opposition leaders Thursday over its education spending. 

The discussions come just a week before the government is set to table its budget, and as three school boards face provincial audits, examining how much government spending really ends up in the classroom

That includes the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), where trustees are considering shuttering pools and laying off instructors to curtail a $58-million dollar deficit. 

NDP Leader Marit Stiles, a former TDSB trustee, said the Ford government's chronic underfunding of education is to blame for the deficits school boards face. 

"This government is forcing boards to make decisions every single day that impact our kids. They're the ones who are feeling it," she said. 

On Wednesday, TDSB trustees called on the government to pay its fair share of education funding, saying it hasn't caught up with costs outside their control, such as a growing state of good repair backlog and rising staffing costs. In a report, the board attributed nearly 85 per cent of its expenses to labour costs.

Liberal House leader John Fraser said education funding has dropped by $1,500 per student since 2018, when adjusting for inflation — a figure the government disputes.  

"My question to the Premier is, does he really think that spending $1,500 per student less every year is good for their education?" Fraser said. 

Education Minister Paul Calandra said Thursday he believes existing funds are being spent on the wrong priorities, and that's why he's ordered government audits.

"I don't understand why they're so afraid, because presumably their numbers are so firm that the investigation will find that what they've been talking about is accurate, right?" he said, referring to the NDP and the TDSB. 

"I suspect what will be found is that money is not being put into the classroom for classroom education as it should be."

A day earlier, Calandra told reporters the TDSB should approach cuts differently than what's being considered. 

"They should not do it by firing teachers and they should not do it by closing down pools. That is not what I would allow to happen. There are other avenues to do it," he said. 

His press secretary told CBC in a statement last week that the government gave the TDSB a record increase in education funding this school year, adding the board had "multiple opportunities" to address its financial situation.