NNDSB wants province to look for efficiencies in four board system

By Richard Coffin

The Near North District School Board (NNDSB) is calling on the Ministry of Education to investigate the existing four-school board system for efficiencies.  

While not saying how many school boards there should be, trustees agree they want the government to look at how to bring more resources to students, staff and schools.  

Trustee Bill Steer brought forward the motion, entitled ‘Ontario School Board Efficiencies’, which was passed at the board’s Jan. 14 meeting. 

“We are asking the government for a comprehensive consultative study to look for opportunities that will not only identify cost savings but also create efficiencies,” he says.  “Regardless of background, all students can benefit from a new educational delivery system recognizing and including all existing Charter/Constitutional rights.” 

Steer says Ontario’s health care system underwent an overhaul as mandated by the province, and so too can the delivery of education. 

“Everything in the public sector has become more expensive to deliver as an essential service,” he adds. 

The board says in 2021-22, there were approximately 2 million children enrolled in Ontario’s public schools across the four commonly recognized school systems.  

Officials say according to the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, statistics from 2021/22 include:  

• The English public school system has 31 school boards and 1.3 million students 
• The English Catholic system, has 29 school boards and over 550,000 students 
• The French Catholic system has eight school boards and over 76,000 students 
• The French public system has four school boards and over 34,000 students