TDSB asks province to lift ban on closing, merging schools

The Toronto District School Board is asking the provincial government to lift a ban on closing and merging schools, saying it would help address a budget deficit by eliminating costs of maintaining underused facilities.

At a special board meeting Thursday, trustees voted unanimously in favour of a motion requesting the Ministry of Education end the moratorium put in place in 2017 by the previous Liberal government.

The motion also asks that, if the province is unwilling to lift its ban, that the TDSB be given an exemption to "consolidate up to four schools" each year.

"This would enable the TDSB to review schools with low enrolment that face programming challenges and limit students' choices and replace them with a smaller number of state-of-the-art schools with higher enrolment that would result in a larger variety of programming and more opportunities for students," the board said in a news release about the motion.

The TDSB says it faces a projected budget deficit of $26.5 million for the 2024 fiscal year. In an interview with CBC Radio's Metro Morning Friday, TDSB Chair Rachel Chernos Lin said that underused schools, particularly high schools, cost the board roughly $850,000 each year to keep open.

"That adds up year after year after year," she said, adding that merging high schools in some areas is a logical step to help address the budget shortfall.

"We know this province is really interested in finding efficiencies, and this is kind of a no-brainer in that way," Chernos Lin said.

Early last year, the Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA) also called on Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives to lift the prohibition on closures. The association represents 31 English-language public school boards, including the TDSB, with more than 1.3 million students.

The OPSBA argued at the time that the ban was never intended to be long-term and that it was straddling boards with half-empty schools while preventing them from making sensible decisions about closures and mergers.

When the moratorium was introduced, the Liberals were facing political pressure over local boards deciding to close schools with low enrolment and move their students to a new location. There are more than 4,800 schools in Ontario. In 2016-17, just before the moratorium went into place, boards decided to close 19 schools.

Chernos Lin said that within the TDSB, the ideal enrolment for high schools is between 1,000 and 1,200 students. With a student body that size, there are enough teachers to offer a wide selection of elective courses and more opportunities for extra-curricular, she said. 

Consolidating high schools could be a 'win,' says chair

But across the city there are instances of three or four high schools within the same area that only have 400 or 500 students enrolled, according to Chernos Lin.

"Imagine if we could combine and consolidate those properties into one? Potentially build a new school or very strongly revitalize to create a really modern space for those kids? Put that student body together so you have that critical mass? It would be such a win for communities, a win for students and a win for our bottom-line budget," she said.

Asked about the TDSB's request during a funding announcement earlier Thursday, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the government's priority is building new schools.

"So we are going to focus on that for the time being," he told reporters.

Lecce said it is up to the TDSB to bring its budget back to balance.

"We are obviously willing to work with all school boards. But we expect them to do what every board is doing, which is coming up with a balanced budget. That is our expectation," he said.

During the special board meeting Thursday, trustees also approved $17 million in spending cuts, including $5 million each for central staffing and school renewals.