Ontario Providing Record Education Funding while Ensuring School Board Accountability

While ensuring school board accountability and transparency, the Ontario government is providing record education funding as part of its plan to protect Ontario and prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow. In 2025-26, Ontario is investing $30.3 billion in Core Education Funding for the upcoming school year so schools can continue to deliver high-quality education with a back-to-basics approach that prepares students and our workforce with practical skills for good-paying, stable careers.

“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 Paul Calandra, Minister of Education. “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.”

Ontario’s education funding helps strengthen core skills in reading and math, ensure support for students with special education needs and provide access to mental health services.

For the 2025-26 school year, these investments include:

• $16.5 billion to support classroom staff, including teachers, kindergarten early childhood educators and educational assistants
• $4.7 billion to fund staff who support students outside the classroom, such as librarians, guidance counsellors, mental health workers and school administrators, as well as classroom materials and equipment
• $3.9 billion for special education to provide access to supports and resources for students with special education needs
• $3 billion for school boards to operate, maintain, renovate and renew school buildings
• $1.4 billion to fund safe, effective and efficient transportation services

Ontario is increasing school renewal funding to $2 billion for the 2025-26 school year, primarily through capital funding, to modernize and improve school buildings, which includes new targeted investments to support accessible and healthy learning environments. This is in addition to the $1.3 billion the government is investing through the Capital Priorities program to support 45 new schools and expansions. These projects will create more than 25,000 new student spaces and more than 1,600 licenced child care spaces across 23 school boards.

These investments are a part of the government’s plan to build a strong, accountable and well-supported public education system that is focused on improving student outcomes. Ontario is moving quickly to bring forward enhanced governance measures in the coming weeks. These changes would provide broader and modernized powers of the government’s oversight of school board financial, governance and program performance, including giving the Minister the ability to respond quickly to public concerns.

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