Parents, teachers say Toronto schools already struggling as board mulls big cuts

Parents and teachers say the Toronto District School Board is already in rough shape as the board considers big cuts to balance its budget next year.

Listeners who called in to CBC Radio's Ontario Today on Thursday described a school system that is struggling to provide the basics due to a lack of resources.

Parents and teachers told host Amanda Pfeffer that the TDSB has old schools with no air conditioning, washrooms that sometimes have no toilet paper and hand soap, not enough cleaning staff and that more money is needed to deal with violent behaviour in the classroom. They said special education, as well, needs more funding.

Many of the callers who spoke pinned the blame on the Ontario government not spending enough, but one person said the TDSB could manage its existing funds differently.

Sandra Huh, a parent whose son is in Grade 7 at a TDSB school, said a lack of provincial funding is undermining public education. 

"I do think this is really an attack on the students themselves," Huh said.

Huh, whose son is autistic, said he is already not receiving enough support through special education. And when he does get support in the classroom, it is the bare minimum, she added.

"Everything is being chipped away," she said. "Schools are absolutely important. We can never spend enough money on education, but we are certainly not spending enough."

The debate about cuts is happening as the TDSB ponders options to balance its 2025-2026 budget.

The board faces a $58 million deficit next year. At the same time, the Ontario government is finalizing its newest budget, to be delivered May 15, and the TDSB has indicated it is hoping that the province will spend more per student.

TDSB staff have outlined several options for the board to adopt to balance the budget and parents and teachers are still reacting to the proposed cuts. In addition, the province has announced it is investigating the TDSB over ongoing financial deficits and spending concerns, saying it has run deficits for years with no plan to return the books to the black. 

This week, the TDSB passed a motion calling for urgent talks with the new Education Minister Paul Calandra to address what it calls a "growing inflationary gap" in per student funding in Toronto.

Options being considered by the board include cuts to pools and swim programming, an itinerant music instructors program, student access to laptops and a one-time COVID learning recovery fund. Board staff have also recommended an increase in class sizes.

TDSB Chair Neethan Shan told Ontario Today that the board has a structural deficit, which means it spends more than it receives, and its current financial situation is due to a combination of chronic under funding and inflationary pressures.