Ford government will look at all options for underutilized schools, despite moratorium on closures

PC MPP Paul Calandra speaks during Question Period at Queen's Park in Toronto on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

The Ford government could be opening the door to potentially shuttering some underutilized schools, despite a moratorium on closures that has been in place for the past eight years.

A spokesperson for Education Minister Paul Calandra provided a statement to CTV News on Tuesday noting that while the moratorium on school closures first introduced in 2017 “remains in place,” the government is committed to considering “every option” for the five boards placed under provincial supervision over the summer.

Those boards include both Toronto public and Catholic boards as well as the Ottawa public board, Dufferin-Peel Catholic and Thames Valley.

“In school boards under supervision, we have been clear that every option must be considered to restore stability and protect classroom learning,” the statement notes. “That includes looking at options for underutilized schools and surplus properties, always with students and parents top of mind. Our focus is on ensuring resources are directed back into classrooms so teachers have the support they need and students have the best chance to succeed.”

Keeping small schools open and staffed has drained board resources over the years.

It costs more than an estimated $10 million, annually to run the Toronto Catholic District School board (TCDSB) alone, according to its 2025-26 budget estimates report.

Despite spending $30.3 billion on elementary and secondary education – the highest Ontario has seen yet, school boards have said it is not enough.

Kathleen Woodcock, president of the Ontario Public School Board Association told CTV News Toronto that the boards have been long calling for the province to lift the moratorium and introduce clear, updated guidelines for a transparent decision-making process.

“School boards have traditionally consolidated or closed schools to ensure that students are receiving the best possible educational options and opportunities,” Woodcock said in a statement.

She noted that there were several benefits of bringing students together through consolidation, like modernized, energy-efficient buildings which are easier to maintain, enrolment that supports a co-curricular program and accessibility features.

“The current situation has created unsustainable funding deficits, as it costs the same to clean, heat, maintain and keep the lights on in a school whether it is half empty or full,” Woodcock said.

However, previously the guidelines laid out timelines and required public meetings before any decision regarding the closure of a school was made, she noted.

“While we are pleased to hear that resources from underutilized schools would be redirected elsewhere, with the Minister musing about eliminating elected trustees, we should all be concerned about whether we should expect future decisions to be made from Queen’s Park with no consultation with the impacted communities across Ontario,” Woodcock said.

Between $8,376 and $18,358 was spent on per student annually in elementary schools with less than 200 students, compared to for those in schools of more than 400, according to a report by Ontario’s auditor general on the Toronto public board’s finances in 2022-23.

The cost per student in schools with 800 or less students was $7,673 to $18,346 and for those with more than 1,000 students, it cost the province between $6,817 to $10,229.