Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services

Reform of Provincial Schools
Chapter 6: Elementary and Secondary Education
The Ministry of Education directly manages a number of schools for the deaf, Demonstration
Schools for students with learning disabilities and a School for the Blind and Deafblind; these
are located in Belleville, Brantford, London, Milton and Ottawa. About 800 students are served
in these eight schools. Most of the students live in residence on the schools’ property. School
staff members are provincial employees. The provincial schools budget for 2011–12 is
$72 million. 29
The <strong>Commission</strong> believes that the Ontario Public Service is not the optimal governance
arrangement for these schools. Alternative programming in school boards should be
considered instead of Demonstration Schools for students with learning disabilities; this would
allow students to live with their families. Schools for the deaf need a critical mass to offer a
wide range of programs and services, especially at the secondary panel, yet enrolment has
declined significantly; these schools should be consolidated.
Recommendation 6-19: The government should close the Demonstration Schools and
reinvest savings to expand alternative secondary school programs in school boards.
The three Schools for the Deaf in Belleville, London and Milton should be consolidated into
one site to achieve a greater critical mass of students from primary grades through secondary
school. Savings should be reinvested in the consolidated school for the deaf and in enhanced
opportunities for deaf learners in school boards, colleges and universities. The Ministry of
Education should transfer the oversight and management of the Brantford site and of the
newly consolidated school for the deaf to one or two English-language school boards, and
transfer the oversight and management of the Centre Jules-Léger (School for the Deaf) to a
French-language school board.
29 In FY11–12, according to the Ontario Ministry of Education, Provincial Schools Budget is $80.6 million, broken down as follows: operating,
$72 million and capital, $8.6 million. Please note that the capital amount does not include assets and statutory appropriations.
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