Province increases local per-pupil funding

ABRIDGED NEWS RELEASE

DAVID ORAZIETTI, MPP

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Orazietti announces further increase in local per-pupil funding

Province boosts per-pupil funding by over 68 percent since 2003

SAULT STE. MARIE - The province is increasing per-pupil funding for students in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma for the ninth year in a row, David Orazietti, MPP announced today.

“Our government is committed to supporting student achievement from JK through Grade 12 and we will continue to protect the gains we have made in education since 2003,” said Orazietti. “Locally, per-pupil funding has been increased by over 68 percent since 2003 and today’s announcement of additional per-pupil funding for 2012 will protect smaller class sizes in our schools and help to decrease dropout rates, increase test scores, increase graduation rates and protect nearly 20,000 teaching and support staff jobs across the province.”

ADSB GSN 2012-13 - Points of Interest

Since 2003, per-pupil funding has increased by $5,876 at the Algoma District School Board (ADSB), an increase of 68.1 percent for a total of $14,510 per student while the number of students attending board schools has dropped by 28.2 percent.

Funding to the board has increased by $1,351,549 since last year, an increase of $22,536,044 or 21 percent since 2003.

HSCDSB GSN 2012-13 - Points of Interest

Since 2003, per-pupil funding has increased by $5,799 at the Huron Superior Catholic District School Board (HSCDSB), an increase of 70.8 percent for a total of $13,992 per student while the number of students attending board schools has dropped by 29.4 percent.

Funding to the board has increased by $1,213,999 since last year, an increase of $10,631,132 or 20.5 percent since 2003.

Local Grants for Student Needs funding in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma remains higher than the provincial average, which will rise this coming year to approximately $11,189 per student, reflecting an increase of $4,000 per student since 2003.

Over the last nine years, per-pupil funding to Sault and area schools has increased by a total of $34 million.

Additional funding is also being provided outside of these grants to support the province’s full-day kindergarten program, which is now offered at every school in Sault Ste. Marie.

Quick facts

The Grants for Student Needs (GSN) is the annual funding provided to school boards to support educational programs and services, staffing and the maintenance of school facilities.

The 2012-13 GSN is approximately $21 billion - up $6.5 billion, or 45 percent, since 2003.

In addition to the GSN, $643 million in funding will support the ongoing expansion of full-day kindergarten to reach about 122,000 students, or approximately half of Ontario’s four- and five-year olds.

Total education funding, which covers the GSN and full-day kindergarten, will increase by about 1.7 percent in 2012-13.

Recently, Ontario’s publicly funded education system was recognized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for significantly increasing reading and math skills, improving graduation rates and reducing the number of low-performing schools.

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