Ontario school funding regulation updated: language program eligibility clarified, interest rate cap raised, and board dollar amounts revised

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

Several targeted changes have been made to Ontario's core education funding rules for the 2024–2025 school year. A number of language-related funding components — covering English as a Second Language/English Literacy Development, French as a Second Language, Programme d'actualisation linguistique en français, and French as a First Language — now explicitly state whether they apply to English-language or French-language district school boards, removing ambiguity about which board type qualifies for each funding stream. The benchmark interest rate used to cap eligible short-term borrowing costs for certain capital projects has increased from 0.75% to 1.05% above the Canadian Overnight Repo Rate Average. The deadline for reporting eligible school accessibility improvement costs has been extended from August 31 of the current fiscal year to March 31 of the 2026–2027 fiscal year. Dollar amounts in the benefits trusts component table have been updated across all 72 school boards, and the lists of schools eligible for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete replacement funding have been adjusted by removing two schools. School boards and their finance and compliance staff should review their specific component calculations and confirm which updated figures apply to them.

Who this affects: English-language district school boards · French-language district school boards · school board finance and compliance staff · school boards undertaking capital or accessibility projects