TDSB supervisor rescinds board’s decision to cut 74 itinerant music instructors

The Toronto District School Board’s (TDSB) plan to eliminate 74 itinerant music instructors for the upcoming school year is no longer on the table.

Trustees had reached this decision on June 18, one day before the board approved its $3.7 billion operating budget for the 2025-2026 school year.

Scrapping the $5 million specialized program that saw professional musicians visit elementary schools for music education was one of several cost-saving measures implemented to offset the TDSB’s $34.4 million deficit over the next two years.

On Oct. 29, Rohit Gupta, the board’s provincially appointed supervisor rescinded the TDSB’s decision to chop its itinerant music instructors. This was outlined in an 84-page Summary of Supervisor’s Decisions that was publicly released earlier this week.

This year, the TDSB has decided to pause issuing new Chromebooks for students in the 2025-26 school year and will instead recirculate devices returned by graduating Grade 12 students, implement an “Attendance Support Program” to reduce costs related to sick-leave, reduce spending on operating expenses by $9.5 million in its Central departments, and hike fees for general interest and other continuing education programming.

The board had also considered closing more than half of the 66 swimming pools it operates that are not currently leased out. But it ultimately backtracked on that plan following public pressure.

With files from CP24’s Joshua Freeman and Bryann Aguilar, and CTV News Toronto’s Phil Tsekouras