Ontario Increases Education Funding While Demanding Greater School Board Accountability

Province allocates $30.3 billion for 2025–26 school year with a renewed focus on student outcomes and fiscal transparency

Toronto — The Ontario government is delivering a record $30.3 billion in Core Education Funding for the 2025–26 school year while tightening oversight of school board governance, performance, and financial accountability.

Education Minister Paul Calandra said the funding will support high-quality instruction in classrooms while ensuring that “every dollar” directly benefits students, parents, and educators.

“I have been clear with school boards across the province that we expect every dollar to be spent on directly supporting students, parents and teachers,” said Calandra. “While we continue to make record investments into our students’ future, I will be relentless in holding school boards accountable on the way they spend these funds.”

While ensuring school board accountability, our government is providing record education funding so that our students are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.

It was great to visit École élémentaire L’Harmonie this week and see how our investment is benefiting students. pic.twitter.com/v4gAkXN503

— Paul Calandra (@PaulCalandra) May 23, 2025

The funding breaks down as follows:

• $16.5 billion for classroom staffing, including teachers, early childhood educators, and educational assistants

• $4.7 billion for support staff and classroom equipment

• $3.9 billion for special education

• $3 billion to maintain and renovate school buildings

• $1.4 billion for student transportation

In addition to operating grants, Ontario will increase school renewal funding to $2 billion, supported primarily through capital investments. That includes targeted infrastructure upgrades to create safer, more accessible schools and an additional $1.3 billion for new school construction and expansions across 23 school boards—adding over 25,000 student spaces and 1,600 licensed child care spots.

The province says these record investments are part of a larger effort to build a “strong, accountable and well-supported” education system. New measures are also in development to enhance provincial oversight of school boards, including greater authority for the Minister of Education to intervene when there are public concerns.

Already, since April, the government has appointed a supervisor at the Thames Valley District School Board and launched financial investigations at the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, and Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

This follows the province’s 2024 shift to a more transparent Core Education Funding model, which itemizes key spending pillars and clarifies how funding is used to support student success.

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