Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services

Non-Teaching Staff: Since 2002–03, staffing has increased by more than 13,800 for
non-teaching positions. To meet our target growth rate in education spending of one per cent
per year to 2017–18, the <strong>Commission</strong> projects that about 70 per cent of these positions will
need to be phased out by that year. Boards will have to minimize the impact of this reduction
on school operations.
Limits to Funded Secondary School Credits: To get a secondary school diploma, Ontario
students must complete 30 secondary school credits. Many students, however, are completing
more than 30 credits; 14 per cent of Grade 12 students return for a fifth year. This is costly.
The <strong>Commission</strong> recommends that public funding be capped at 32 successful credits per
student. School boards should be allowed to charge a fee for additional credits.
Encouraging Efficient Student Transportation: Transporting students to school poses a
challenge to school boards, with costs difficult to contain. The Ministry of Education recently
placed a moratorium on new competitive procurement. This should immediately be lifted,
since it delays getting efficient, effective student transportation service through competitive
bidding. Users may have to bear a portion of the cost through a student transportation fee,
with provisions to ensure that lower-income, special needs and rural students are not
restricted in their access to learning.
A Comprehensive Plan to Live With One Per Cent Annual Growth: Our one per cent limit
on annual growth in the education budget means the sector will have $1.6 billion more to
spend in 2017–18 than in 2010–11. In our Status Quo Scenario, existing cost pressures point
to increases that will add $4.4 billion to the bill, leaving a shortfall of $2.8 billion. We believe
the recommendations already set out will eliminate this shortfall.
We assume that school boards would seek further efficiencies or other revenues to offset cost
pressures such as benefits, utilities, fuel and so on. The following recommendations, while not
costed explicitly, have been developed in that spirit.
Promoting Evidence-Based Solutions in Special Education: Special education grants
account for a significant portion of education spending at $2.5 billion in 2011–12, a 55 per cent
increase since 2002–03 despite declining enrolment. The link between increased funding and
outcomes for students is not obvious. The <strong>Commission</strong> commends the province’s focus on
supporting students with special needs, but we must direct every dollar to where it will have
the most impact. We recommend a full review of the province’s special education programs
and the results achieved, including programs for students in care, custody or treatment, and
hospital boards, with a view to ensuring that funding is being used effectively to improve
student outcomes. For clarity, we do not believe there is a “problem” with the overall special
education funding envelope. Our concern is the lack of measurable outcomes for the
significant investments made since 2002–03.
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