The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is facing a significant financial challenge, with a projected deficit of $70 million for the upcoming school year. In response, the board is contemplating drastic measures such as cutting music instructors, closing swimming pools, and shutting outdoor education centres to address this financial shortfall.
A report to be presented next week indicates that TDSB may close its 66 swimming pools and eliminate 86 aquatic instructors unless a feasible plan for cost-recovery operations can be established. Currently, out of the 66 pools managed by TDSB, 27 are leased to the City of Toronto, two are leased privately, while the remaining 37 are permitted out. The board estimates that exiting the pool management business could result in over $12 million in savings.
Councillor Josh Matlow and TDSB Trustee Shelley Laskin have voiced their concerns regarding the importance of swimming education, stating that it is “an essential part of a child’s education.” In response to the potential closures, they have initiated a petition urging the provincial government to “take responsibility and step in to protect these neighbourhood assets.”
The report also proposes eliminating 74 music instructors, which is expected to yield savings of approximately $4 million. Furthermore, modifications to the one-to-one device program are anticipated whereby students in Grades 5 to 12 currently receiving Chromebooks for educational purposes will be limited to those in Grade 7 and above. This adjustment would save roughly $4.5 million.
A special meeting has been scheduled for the Finance, Budget, and Enrollment Committee next Wednesday to discuss the contents of the report. Notably, the TDSB is required by the Ministry of Education to present a balanced budget each year; however, it finds itself grappling with a structural deficit attributed to several factors, including underfunded statutory benefits, challenges in closing underutilized schools, and lagging grant revenues which have failed to keep pace with inflation.
As of February 27, 2025, the TDSB had projected a deficit of nearly $66 million for the 2025-26 school year. This figure ballooned to over $70 million after the board reinstated 28 unfunded Vice Principals that had previously been removed from the staffing allocation. The TDSB had hoped to implement a deficit recovery plan approved in September, which aimed to reduce the deficit to $11 million. However, this plan was rejected by the Ministry of Education on April 23, 2025, which also announced that a financial investigator would be appointed to address the TDSB’s persistent deficit.
