Ottawa Catholic School Board eyes $16 million in new expenditures as OCDSB looks for $20 million in cuts

An empty classroom is shown. (Pixabay / Pexels.com)

Math will be on the agenda tonight for Ottawa’s two largest school boards, as the 2025-26 budgets are presented to trustees.

While trustees at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board have been told they will need to find $20 million in savings to balance the books, the Ottawa Catholic School Board’s budget for the new school year will include $16.8 million in “new permanent and one-time enhancements” using operating surpluses and reserves.

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A report for the Ottawa Catholic School Board meeting shows the board will receive $797.8 million in grants and operating revenues for the 2025-26 school year, and the preliminary expenditures are $786.6 million.

Staff recommend the board add another $10.5 million in permanent expenses to the 2025-26 budget using the grant and operating revenues, and $6.3 million in one-time expenditures using the accumulated surplus. The $16.8 million in additional spending includes $9 million for staffing salaries and $4.3 million in enhancements.

According to the report, the $4.3 million in new “non-salary expenditures” includes $375,000 for AI softwares, $500,000 for school budget increases to address inflationary budgets, $500,000 in one-time cash to support school initiatives, $500,000 for furniture and equipment, and $500,000 to refresh sports and arts equipment in schools.

The board will use its accumulated surplus to fund $2 million in investments in skills trades initiatives, a $2 million investment in inclusion and well-being through the Lens of Deep Learning and $1 million for play structure renewal.

Staff say the board “enjoys a healthy balance,” and there is “sufficient” funding to fund “valuable system needs.”

The Ottawa Catholic School Board budget calls for 5,606 staff members, including 4,559 teachers, in 2025, up from 5,339 employees in 2024.

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board

The draft budget for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) will be tabled tonight, with trustees warned they need to find $20 million in savings to balance the books.

Trustees have already approved a plan to cut more than 150 teaching and administrative positions.

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Staff have said the OCDSB is facing multi-million-dollar cost pressures, including $20 million to support the maintenance of underutilized schools, $16.8 million to cover costs for replacing staff and $12 million in inflation pressures.

The Ministry of Education is investigating the OCDSB’s finances.