School Boards Funded

Posted August 14, 2007

August 14, 2007 released to public at 11:11am

MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT STRENGTHENS SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA

BRAMPTON — The McGuinty government is strengthening public education and fixing the funding formula by investing an additional $309 million in public funding over

the next two years, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced today.

"Since taking office, we have been working together to make public education the best education, including overcoming a flawed funding formula," said Premier McGuinty. " I believe that this commitment of $309 million over the next two years signals our dedication to public education and puts school boards on firm financial ground."

In a landmark report in December 2002 Dr. Mordecai Rozanski said the previous government had drastically underfunded public education and called for additional investments of $1.7 billion.

Since taking office, the government has increased total education funding by more than twice that amount to $3.7 billion. Work on eight other Rozanski recommendations is either complete or in progress.

"We have not only kept faith with the spirit of Dr. Rozanski's report, we have in many cases exceeded it," said the Premier.

Today's announcement provides an additional $182 million for the 2007-08 school year, in addition to the $781 million funding increase announced in March. This investment will support further improvements to the education funding formula through:

$41 million to fund 300 more vice-principals in large schools
$20 million to improve the maintenance and operation of our schools
$12 million to continue transportation funding reform by ensuring boards receive funding that more accurately reflects the real costs of school bus operation and maintenance
$20 million to improve support for Education Assistants
$52 million to ensure funding for support workers, secretaries and supply teachers more closely reflects actual school board costs
$20 million to fund 240 more primary teachers to help create smaller primary class sizes
$5 million for school office supplies
$12 million in additional support for rural schools

"School boards worked hard this year to put together strong programs and balanced budgets," said Education Minister Kathleen Wynne. "This enhancement will help to alleviate some of the pressures that boards have told me they face and will ensure they can continue to provide a stable learning environment for our students."

For 2008-09, an additional $127 million will be provided to further strengthen the funding formula by better matching funding with current actual costs. This investment will focus on additional areas that boards have identified, such as English-as-a-Second-Language, school board operations, non-salary compensation, schools in areas of local growth, adult education and local priorities.

The government will also review the progress made in strengthening the funding formula by 2010. The review will evaluate whether the funding formula supports the government's education priorities for improved achievement in all our schools around the province.

Since 2003, the McGuinty government has made significant improvements to how education funding is delivered. These investments are producing results for Ontario's students with rising student achievement, smaller primary class sizes and higher graduation rates.

"When we get public education right, we get the best citizens, the best workers, the best jobs and the best society," said Premier McGuinty. "Today's announcement builds on four years of progress and determination to make public education the best education."