The Thames Valley District school board (TVDSB) Tuesday passed its new 2024-2025 budget last night. It included a $7.6 million budget deficit.
The board originally had a shortfall of $30 million, but trustees and staff managed to slash it down, in compliance with the Ministry of Education, over the course of a marathon meeting.
“I know we all know that that was a significant hurdle for staff, but they’ve used their expertise and understanding of our educational priorities and our financial realities to make changes to the budget,” said board chair Beth Mai.
“They’ve used their expertise and understanding of our educational priorities and our financial realities to make changes to the budget. Through that careful planning, they have successfully reduced the initial budget deficit.”
The deficit, according to the board, was driven by unfunded statutory benefit costs, special education costs, and costs for staff absence replacements. In order for the deficit to be compliant with the Ministry’s requirements, it must be less than or equal to one per cent of operating revenue.
During the meeting, many trustees expressed frustration with Queen’s Park, saying that the province had shorted the board $30 million in funding.
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“No matter which way we turn, the ministry is not being helpful, and the ministry is not providing us with the funding that we need in order to balance our budget and do right by students,” London trustee Sheri Polhill said. “How exactly does the ministry deem it appropriate for us to not use our reserves while they owe us $30 million, and then force us to be compliant?”
Polhill said it’s not the TVDSB’s fault, and that the board has to “make sure that we do the best we can with what we’re provided.”
In a statement, the Ministry of Education denied any underfunding, with spokesperson Isha Chaudhuri saying education is being funded at “the highest levels in Ontario’s history.”
“For the 2024-25 school year, the Thames Valley District School Board is receiving an additional $34.5 million in funding for a total of $1.1 billion to support the needs of students,” the statement reads. “We have also provided the board with $132.2 million in special education funding, an increase of $4.5 million from the current school year.”
Lori-Ann Pizzolato, another London trustee, feels that more people need to hold the province accountable.
“A minister response…he said these issues impact the broader public sector and the entire Ontario Public Service, and yet I still don’t hear a lot from the public about holding the government accountable to pay their taxes,” Pizzolato stated. “We will be nickel and diming trying to figure out a way to pay their bills and cover them.”
As part of the budget cuts to get the deficit within ministry standards, 58 elementary school and 24 high school teaching positions will remain unfilled. 17 early childhood educator positions and four positions in speech and psychology services will also be cut. The board said no current employees will lose their jobs, and some will be moved to different, vacant positions.
The special education budget will also be taking a major hit of nearly $1 million, with half of that due to a swap from laptops to Chromebooks, while spending on security equipment will be cut by $300,000. Cuts will also affect school budgets, instructional supplies, printing and photocopying, and field trips.
The TVDSB is the largest school board in the region, and the fourth largest in Ontario, with more than 85,000 students and more than 14,000 staff.
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