Elementary school students. (© Can Stock Photo / oksun70)Elementary school students. (© Can Stock Photo / oksun70)
Midwestern

Bluewater student funding decreases among the deepest cuts

A new report suggests the Bluewater District School Board is facing among the deepest cuts to per-pupil funding.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives crunched the numbers and broke it down by each school board.

They compared funding for the 2017-2018 school year with estimates for the 2019-2020 school year

The report shows the Bluewater District School Board is facing a $4.3 million funding cut, with a 2.3 per cent decrease in operating funding. Funding has been cut by $542 per student. And the Learning Opportunities Grant is down 47 per cent.

Among the public school boards, only northern Ontario is facing deeper cuts to per-pupil funding.

The Avon Maitland District School Board is losing $8.8 million in operating funding, which is down 4.8 per cent. That's a decrease of $375 per student. And the Learning Opportunities Grant is down 46 per cent.

For the 2019-2020 school year, the Ontario government is transferring $430 million less (adjusted for inflation) to school boards than the amount transferred in 2017-2018. That’s a two per cent cut in total operating funding.

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