FACT CHECK: Doug Ford is spending less and less on schools

QUEEN’S PARK — Despite Doug Ford’s claims, the Conservatives have been spending less and less on education infrastructure.

“It’s insulting for Doug Ford and his education minister to claim they’re doing anything to fix our crumbling classrooms and jam-packed schools when they’re actually cutting the budget, year after year,” said Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP Education critic. “Students and parents and educators are pleading for a plan to get kids back to class safely in the fall, five days a week, and what they’re getting instead is a government that congratulates itself with a photo op and a totally disingenuous announcement.”

• In 2018-19, planned education infrastructure spending was about $3 billion.[1] Ford cut that to $2.5 billion.[2]
• In 2019-20, Ford cut education infrastructure spending further, to $2.4 billion.[3]
• In 2020-21, in the budget that came in response to COVID-19, Ford lowered it again — to $2.2 billion.[4]
• On top of badly needed new schools, the government is ignoring more than $16.3 billion[5] in necessary repairs to existing schools.

“Parents want to know what this government is doing to get all our kids safely into smaller classrooms in September,” said Stiles. “What they got today translates to no immediate help, and far less long-term investment than all kids need and deserve.”

Sources:

[1] 2018 Ontario Budget
[2] Public Accounts of Ontario, 2018-19
[3] 2019 Ontario Budget
[4] Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID‑19, March 2020 Economic and Fiscal Update
[5] Nov. 5 Estimates Committee transcript