Our 2026-27 Pre-Budget Consultation submission is now online!
OPSBA normally shares its funding submission as part of the Ministry of Education’s Core Education Funding consultation process, which did not occur this year. This was unfortunate as this consultation has been the established process by which education experts have provided their evidence-based data and local information to the government. In turn, public education’s funding formula has been continuously refined, which ultimately provides the best conditions for our students locally. Our submission identifies specific actions that can be taken to address funding challenges and allow school boards to be even more fiscally responsible. These include:
- Providing compensatory funding to match current and future federally mandated Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Employment Insurance (EI) contribution rates.
- Providing funding to address the full cost of running classrooms in schools – this includes supply staff. School boards are increasingly challenged to cover the actual cost of replacing absent staff.
- Addressing the special education funding formula to ensure funding is meeting the needs of students and families.
The submission also focuses on the following funding areas:
- Mental Health and Well-Being
- Truth and Reconciliation
- Intertwining Human Rights, Inclusion, and Accessibility Standards
- Supporting Local Democracy
- Anti-Black Racism as Outlined in The Ontario Human Rights Commission’s (OHRC) Dreams Delayed Report
- Student Transportation
- School Facilities and Capital Projects
- Cyber-Security