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Data & evidence
A current, cited snapshot of Ontario’s public education crisis: province-wide reporting on 2025–26 board-submitted estimates indicates 44 of 72 boards are in deficit or barely breaking even, real per-student operating funding was $14,504 in 2024–25, and OTF says over 30,000 qualified, certified teachers are not employed in Ontario boards and classrooms.
Key takeaways
- Ontario plans $30.3B in Core Education Funding for 2025–26, with projected average funding of $14,561 per student.
- FAO says real per-student provincial operating funding was $14,504 in 2024–25, the lowest level of the past 10 years.
- Ontario: province-wide reporting on 2025–26 board-submitted estimates indicates 44 of 72 boards are in deficit or barely breaking even, and 11 entered the year with zero operating reserves.
- Ontario: OTF says over 30,000 qualified, certified teachers are not employed in Ontario boards and classrooms; an internal ministry briefing warns shortages widen starting in 2027.
- Ontario: violence indicators remain high, with 9 in 10 Catholic teachers reporting they experienced or witnessed violence or harassment at school and a 67% increase in TDSB violent incidents since 2017–18.
- Ontario school buildings: $6.5B repair backlog, $12.7B 10-year capital shortfall, and 150,881 students above permanent capacity (FAO).
Pair numbers with lived experience
Stats help prove this is systemic. But decision-makers move when families share one concrete example from their school and ask for a written reply.
Use the email template (with a short, non-identifying example), and connect it to the evidence in The Crisis sections.
Enrolment increased 3.4%, inflation 12.7%, while education funding increased only 12.0%. The gap—4.2% or about $1.3 billion—represents real dollars not reaching schools.
The FAO estimates the current school repair backlog is $6.5B (to bring buildings into good repair). Under the province’s 10‑year funding level cited by the FAO, the backlog would grow to $22.1B by 2033–34.
Recent surveys show violence is widespread across school settings. OECTA reports 9 in 10 Catholic teachers experienced or witnessed violence or harassment, while other sector surveys and audits show the problem extends beyond any one board or union.
Key statistics
Each number below is backed by a cited source. See Sources for the full library.
Share this section:
44/72Boards in deficit or barely breaking even in province-wide reporting on 2025–26 estimates
Last reviewed: Mar 6, 2026
30,000+Qualified, certified teachers not employed in Ontario boards/classrooms
Last reviewed: Mar 6, 2026
$14,504Real per-student provincial operating funding (2024–25), lowest in 10 years
Last reviewed: Mar 5, 2026
More by topic
Funding
Budgets & board finances
25Boards that approved deficit budgets in province-wide reporting on 2025–26 estimates
Last reviewed: Mar 6, 2026
19Boards that barely balanced after cuts in province-wide reporting on 2025–26 estimates
Last reviewed: Mar 6, 2026
11Boards with zero operating reserves in province-wide reporting on 2025–26 estimates
Last reviewed: Mar 6, 2026
Staffing & retention
Safety & violence
Capital & school buildings
Student outcomes
53%Grade 3 students with special education needs not meeting the provincial reading standard (2018–19)
Special education
Class size
Child care & early years
2025Ontario’s Early Years and Child Care Annual Report (provincial progress reporting)
Last reviewed: Feb 17, 2026
5,556 (92%)Licensed child care sites enrolled in CWELCC (as of March 31, 2025)
Last reviewed: Feb 17, 2026
328,610 (92%)Licensed child care spaces (ages 0–5) enrolled in CWELCC (as of March 31, 2025)
Last reviewed: Feb 17, 2026
532,525Licensed child care spaces in centres (ages 0–12) (as of March 31, 2025)
Last reviewed: Feb 17, 2026
$22/dayCWELCC programs: parent fees capped starting January 2025 (ages under 6)
Last reviewed: Feb 17, 2026
80,500 (27%)CWELCC spaces unutilized (vacant or not operational) (as of Dec 2023)
Last reviewed: Feb 17, 2026
Governance
Nearest 5Public school enrolment data rounded to the nearest five (since 2018–19)
Last reviewed: Feb 17, 2026
Sources for these numbers
- Underfunding since 2018
- Official 2025–26 Core Education Funding totals
- Board-submitted estimates, deficits, balancing pressure, and reserves
- Teacher supply and projected shortage
- Real per-student funding pressure and growth outlook
- Violence indicators
- Staffing shortages reported by schools
- School buildings: repairs backlog and capital shortfall
- Class size caps and data
- Special education funding and access
What to say / what to ask for
- Ask your MPP for funding that keeps pace with inflation and enrolment.
- Request a public plan with timelines and measurable targets for closing the gap.
- Ask for a funded plan to fix school buildings and reduce reliance on portables.
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More data sources
- CCPA – $6.3B underfunding since 2018 — Cumulative gap analysis
- Ontario Data Catalogue – School board financial reports dataset — Direct board-submitted estimates, revised estimates, and financial statements
- OTF – Expanding on the 50-day rule decision (2024) — Direct-source staffing context, including over 30,000 qualified certified teachers not employed in boards/classrooms
- OECTA – Violence and harassment in Ontario schools (2026) — Province-wide Catholic teacher survey with current violence prevalence data
- Building Better Schools – Education Cuts Tracker — See how cuts affect your local school district
- FAO – Ontario school buildings (repairs backlog & capital shortfall) — Building condition, capacity pressures, and 10-year outlook
- EQAO – Open Data downloads — Achievement results and student questionnaire datasets (public)
- FAO – Ministry of Education spending plan review (2025) — Per-student funding, school board operations, and CWELCC projections
- Auditor General – CWELCC special report (2025) — Funding shortfalls, unutilized spaces, and workforce pressure in child care
- People for Education – Annual Canadian School Survey (ACSS) — Pan-Canadian survey on staffing, mental health, classroom complexity, and resources
- People for Education – What do we know about Canadian schools? — Scan of education data gaps and data infrastructure across Canada
- The Crisis — Full evidence with citations to primary sources
- Sources — Complete bibliography
Turn this into action
Open templates & printables
Email templates, meeting agenda, incident log, and printable one-pagers.
Read the full crisis breakdown
Issue-by-issue context with sources and suggested questions to ask.