Ottawa Catholic School Board dips into reserves to improve playground equipment, boosts skilled trades in 2026-27 budget

A classroom is seen at Wazoson Public School of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) in Ottawa, on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

The Ottawa Catholic School Board will dip into reserves to invest in skilled trade initiatives and upgrade school play structures as part of its 2026-27 school year budget.

Trustees will vote tonight on whether to approve the $833 million budget for the 2026-2027 school year, a 3.7 per cent increase in spending from the 2025-26 school year.

The Catholic school board projects enrolment of 54,153 students next school year, up 2.8 per cent from the current school year. Staffing will increase by 109.8 full-time equivalent positions for the new school year, including 103.3 FTE in classroom teachers.

The board says 80.6 per cent of the board’s budget will cover salaries and benefits.

“Classroom spending will increase by $1.3 million, or 3.6 per cent, due to additional funding for classroom supplies going directly to eligible elementary teachers,” the board said. “This also includes continuation of the multi-year initiatives funded through reserves mentioned above.”

The transportation budget will increase by $3 million next year due to ridership growth and higher public transit and school bus costs, according to staff. The Ottawa Catholic School Board will spend $40.9 million on transportation next school year.

Staff recommend trustees approve a $7.4 million drawdown from the accumulated surplus to address “student needs/priorities.” The proposed budget recommends spending the surplus reserves on one-time student-focused investments, including:

• $3 million investment in skilled trades initiatives over two years ($1.5 million in 2026-27). Staff say it will expand “hands-on learning, build industry partnerships, and renew equipment for high-demand career pathways.”
• $3 million investment in inclusion and well-being through the lens of deep learning over two years ($1.5 million in 2026-27).
• $1 million in 2026-27 and $3 million over three years to replace aging and non-accessible play structures to “ensure safer, more inclusive outdoor spaces.”

Staff say after the use of $7.4 million in reserves, the board will have a projected appropriated surplus of $9.1 million and the unappropriated surplus of $21.7 million.

The budget does warn there are “significant risks” associated with the 2026-27 budget, including inflationary pressures, rising transportation costs and enrolment predictability.

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