Trustees of the Halton District School Board have released an
infographic depicting the funding gap for the Board on a per student basis compared to the Ontario provincial average.
The infographic clearly shows that neighbouring boards, some of which are similar in size and demographics, receive higher funding from the province. The Halton District School Board received $1,290 less per student (almost 11% less) than the provincial average of $12,000. With 64,000 students in the Board, it works out to more than an $82 million funding shortfall for the 2017-2018 school year.
“With program cuts and the creation of tight, balanced budgets we make it work, but I know we could be doing so much more for our students if we had the $82 million that would bring our Board in line with the average per pupil funding in Ontario. The Halton District School Board Trustees have long been advocating for clarity and transparency regarding the funding formula and have received neither. This infographic has been created to make the community more aware of the Board’s concerns so they can reach out to their MPP to help advocate on behalf of the students of Halton,” says Andréa Grebenc, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Halton District School Board.
“Trustees at the Halton District School Board understand that northern and rural boards require additional funding for their unique circumstances and are not suggesting that the funding for those boards be adjusted,” adds Chair Grebenc. “We just do not understand our Board’s consistent and growing funding lag from the average provincial per pupil funding over the past 10 years that has essentially kept hundreds of millions of dollars from our classrooms and student supports without explanation from the Provincial Government.”
Currently the Halton District School Board is the lowest funded Ontario English public school board on a per pupil basis.
The infographic also outlines that the Halton District School Board spends more on Special Education than is allocated through the Ministry of Education’s Special Education Funding Model. The Halton District School Board has had a loss in excess of $20 million dollars in Special Education Funding since the model changed in the 2014-2015 school year despite the growth of the number of students requiring support for special needs in the Board.
Additionally, the infographic speaks to the Ministry of Education’s use of an out-of-date transportation formula that uses population data from 1998 even though enrolments in Halton District Schools have risen by at least 35% in that time. This funding gap has contributed to school bus driver shortages in the region.
For additional information, contact
Andréa Grebenc
Chair, Halton District School Board
grebenca@hdsb.ca