Ontario school boards get a new core education funding formula for the 2026-27 school year

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

A brand-new regulation sets out the complete framework for calculating provincial legislative grants to Ontario school boards for the 2026-2027 fiscal year (September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027). It establishes six grant funds — covering classroom staffing, learning resources, special education, school facilities, student transportation, and school board administration — plus a separate capital funding stream. Each fund is broken into detailed allocations and components, with dollar amounts tied to enrolment counts, staff qualifications and experience, school geography, language programs, Indigenous education, mental health, and other factors. School boards must comply with all conditions attached to grant payments, including class-size reporting requirements, spending rules for specialized equipment and classroom supplies, and caps on administration and governance expenses. If no replacement regulation is in force for 2027-2028 by September 1, 2027, this regulation automatically rolls over for that year at the same grant amounts.

Who this affects: district school boards · isolate school boards · section 68 boards · governing authorities · school board finance and compliance staff