RECOMMENDATION PASSED – CSLT.2026.03.03 Motion for Requested Staff Presentations

Date:  3 Mar 2026

To: TDSB Staff

From: Susan Lee, Interim Co-Lead of Consultations WG

SUMMARY

This motion requests a series of budget town halls citywide and additionally sets out a schedule of reporting requests of staff for the remainder of the school year. 

RECOMMENDATIONS

Motions to the TDSB

1. That the TDSB senior staff prepare and deliver a Budget Presentation in a series of town halls around the city, plus two online town halls, providing an update on the following items: 

• Current projections for student population and expected funding, projected surplus or deficit, and any options to balance.

• Concerns regarding underutilization of buildings and potential savings that could be gained from long-term campus consolidation.

• The supervisor and/or interim director’s priorities are for 2026-2027, especially in relation to aquatics, arts & music, and heritage language programs, as well as to the PIAC priorities enumerated in this letter: Motion for provincial budget consultation.docx

• A review on the source and expenditure of the surplus $31 million that was recently reported for the current year: https://www.torontotoday.ca/local/education/tdsb-posts-31-million-surplus-2025-not-because-less-spending-11710112   

• With reference to the linked article, please respond to the questions raised about additional funding from the province being one-time only, and if true, the impact for next year’s funding plan. 
• Please also clarify the apparent under-spending on “pupil accommodations.” 

• An update on the Auditor General of Ontario’s 15 recommendations to the TDSB, which were presented to members at the June 17^th, 2025 meeting, including (per minutes):
  • “[D]etailed management responses” indicating the need for additional funding or regulatory changes.
  • Updates on efficiencies arising from the employee attendance support program.
  • The 5-Year Capital Plan
  • The Structural Deficit
  • The 8 recommendations that “require significant funding increases”
  • The 2 recommendations that “require both funding and regulatory changes.”
  • Any other salient reporting that would have been provided to the Audit Committee.

2. The TDSB staff shall prepare the following reports and present them to PIAC at the General Meetings on the indicated timeline:

April 2026
Classroom Organization Presentation

• Please provide guidance on legislated and bargained requirements for JK/SK, Elementary, and Secondary classrooms, including how the average class sizes are balanced across the board.
• Please indicate where principals may have leeway in classroom organization (i.e., to aid parents in their School Council-mediated discussions with the principal).
• Please indicate the rationale and/or research-based best practices for classroom splits, especially triple splits, and provide data on how many double and triple split classes are expected.
• Please define “classroom supports” and explain how they will be deployed to augment instructional capacity in literacy and numeracy.
• Please explain how additional staff will be sourced, especially in subjects or domains where teacher shortages exist (e.g., French Immersion)?
• Please explain how classrooms will be prioritized for these additional supports.
• Please explain the timeline for fall reorganization and updated strategies to avoid the extremely disruptive reorg that took place in late September 2025.
• Please consider reserving extra educational assistants to deploy as needed to support classrooms that experience reports of severe disruption – including violence against teachers and fellow students – regardless of their size.

May 2026

Curriculum Presentation

• Please provide an update on curriculum implementation for literacy and numeracy including by what basis the TDSB determines if curricular implementation is successful.
• At the elementary level, please provide data on:
  • What learning resources are available to schools.
  • The cost and efficacy of digital vs. printed learning materials in the TDSB.
  • Overview of recent pilot programs that address literacy and numeracy, for example, the Math Learning Partners expansion, or the JUMP Math pilot program (at Roden and perhaps other schools)
  • Survey of teachers regarding what curricular supports are needed. 
• Please provide an update on long term plans for music curriculum development and implementation, to ensure equitable music instruction. 
• Please provide an update on secondary curriculum implementation & efficacy, including a survey of students in grades 6, 8 and 12 on their satisfaction with the curriculum throughout each stage of schooling (i.e., junior elementary, senior elementary, and secondary), respectively. 

June 2026

Budget Update & Pilot Program Presentation

• Please provide a budget update to items presented in March.
• Please include in the budget analysis an overview of all pilot programs run throughout the year, the cost to implement each pilot program, and what pilot programs were deemed successful vs. not successful. 
• In the determination of what was successful or unsuccessful, please include parent/student and teacher survey results. 
• Please consider in the budget additional funds to expand successful programs and/or eliminate pilot funding for unsuccessful programs. 

FINANCIAL IMPACT

There is no financial impact resulting from the adoption of the recommendations in this report.

DECISION HISTORY

None.

COMMENTS

In the absence of trustees during provincial supervision, it is critical that the TDSB staff provide data to the public on matters of importance to student learning, achievement and well-being.

SPONSORS Co-SPONSORS

Sponsor:  Susan Lee, Ward 12 Co-Rep and Interim Consultations Co-Lead

Co-sponsors: Nicole Di Wu, Ward 12 Co-Rep and Consultations Co-Lead

SIGNATURE

Susan Lee

Full Name – Susan Lee

Title of Official – Ward 12 Co-Rep and Consultations Interim Co-Lead

attachmentS

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appendices

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