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A useful e-mail is circulating around the Toronto District School Board, summarizing some of the early budget deliberations, as trustees face another year of shortfall. The Board’s Budget Committee met on Monday, May 30. Here is the synopsis. The conclusion provides some useful steps for concerned parents and advocates:

The Committee members defeated the Staff recommendations to balance the 2011-2012 Budget, which included the following:

• Shifting $30m (million) from large capital repairs to smaller projects
• Permit Fees Increase – 22% as of Jan. 2012 — $ 1.60 m
• Department Budget Reductions $3.70 m
• Using savings from previous years   $13.10m
• Transportation (no impact on students) $.25 m
• Reduction to central departments casual replacement budgets $1.00 m
• Purchasing of utilities $.80 m
• Auditing for enrolment and class size efficiencies $ 1. 00 m
• Broader Public Sector Directive and reduction of meeting expenses $ .20 m
• Reducing of External Consultants $3.70 m

Possible total (short-term) savings found:   $ 55. 35 million

After this recommendation was defeated, the Budget committee agreed to meet Wednesday June 8^th (time to be confirmed) to look at recommendations again. They asked staff to look at the possibility of lessening the $30 m cutback from capital funding (to $20 m or $25 m for example), and balance the remainder from items from another document presented (Appendix “B”) which lists items which are either under or unfunded items by the Ministry of Education.  Here is the list from Appendix “B”:

• Outdoor Ed  $6.7 m
• Regular Ed. Assistants  $ 22.6 m
• Literacy Teachers  $15.2 m
• Library Teachers   $ 6.25 m
• Guidance Teachers  $5.59 m
• Classroom Consultants, Central Coordinating Principals etc. $3.5 m
• School budgets   $10.27 m
• Elementary supervision  $9.31 m
• School safety monitors   $6.13 m
• School office  $8.06
• Vice Principals  $8.34 m
• Special education    $15.4 m
• Model Schools   $8.5 m
• Safe Schools   $3.05 m
• Board Administration  $18.48 m
• Transportation  $ 2.49 m
• Permits   $11.2 m
• Vision of Hope  $1.00 m
• Aboriginal Education  $438,284
• Continuing Education  $8. 01 m

Total:  $170,633,755.00 million under or non-funded items

Why does the TDSB have a funding gap?

There is currently a $150,000,000 million difference between what the TDSB receives in “directed grant” monies from the Ministry of Education (i.e., for things such as Full Day Kindergarten etc.) and what we choose to spend. Sometimes, the Ministry does not send enough money to cover an initiative that they direct the board to do, for example, adequate funding for teachers’ salaries to fully implement Full Day Kindergarten. This means money must be found elsewhere to cover this cost.

Sweatered vs. Unsweatered Grants from the Ministry of Education (MoE):   Grants from the Ministry are either sweatered (meaning they have to be spent on a certain program or in a certain way), or unsweatered (meaning the board has flexibility about how they spend the money).  For example, special education funding is sweatered by the MoE and can only be spent by the TDSB on special education programs and services.  The TDSB must also be accountable and track these monies to show the MoE they were spent as directed.

However, the Learning Opportunities Grant (LOG) is an unsweatered Ministry grant, which means the TDSB has flexibility in using these funds event though the LOG is intended, in theory, to fund programs and services for students who are deemed “at risk” due to poverty and other factors, and/or who are aboriginal. While some of the LOG funding does indeed go to support students ‘at risk’, much of it is used to pay for under or unfunded items through the MoE’s funding formula and initiative funding.

The Inner City Advisory Committee (ICAC) and the Learning Opportunities Grant (LOG)

The ICAC has always argued that the Model Schools for Inner Cities Program (MSIC) should be funded by the LOG because that is what the grant is supposedly for. The Model Schools provides a holistic and innovative program in 105 schools across Toronto, and does this on a budget of $8.5 million that has not changed since 2006, in spite of inflationary pressures, salary increases, rising food costs etc.   Next year, in an effort to reach more underserved students, staff have decided to expand the MSIC to reach 125 schools across the city.  Last night the ICAC motion, asking for a 5% increase (approximately $425,000) to the MSIC funding, was defeated. (The motion is attached in pdf above.)

What can you do?

1.     Email or call your/all trustee(s) to ask that the motion be reconsidered at the June 8^th Budget Committee meeting. (www.tdsb.on.ca click on “boardroom” to find a list of 22 trustees)

2.     Request a deputation (speaking for 5 minutes) spot for the June 8^th Budget Committee meeting (http://www.tdsb.on.ca/_site/ViewItem.asp?siteid=88&menuid=310&pageid=239)

3.     Attend the June 8^th Budget Committee meeting and the Board meeting where the Trustees debate the budget – June 22^nd

4.     Advocate for a fully funded education system which meets the needs of all children and supports each and every one in achieving their highest potential.

For more, on what’s happening, see the TDSB 2011-12 budget webpage

Posted on June 1, 2011 at 6:21 pm in Public Education   |  RSS feed |   Reply   |   Trackback URL