Ontario Making Historic $1.3 Billion Investment to Build and Expand More Schools

January 27, 2025

Province ensuring growing communities have school and child care spaces to support students and families

January 27, 2025

TORONTO — The Ontario government is investing $1.3 billion to build 30 new schools and 15 school expansions across Ontario, creating more than 25,000 new student spaces and more than 1,600 new licensed child care spaces. The investments address critical needs in growing areas of the province to provide students with modern learning spaces to help them achieve success.

“This is the second consecutive year that our government has made historic investments in new school construction and school expansion, as part of the government’s Build Ontario plan,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Education. “Under our plan, schools are being built faster and more efficiently than ever before so more students have access to a place to learn and prepare for the jobs of tomorrow.”

The ministry is working closely with school boards to ensure infrastructure investments meet the needs of local communities and deliver good value for Ontario taxpayers. The increased Capital Priorities funding is intended to address growth related to demographic changes and housing development in local communities.

The 45 projects were selected after reviewing school boards’ project submissions through the 2024-25 Capital Priorities program, and address current and critical space needs in communities where alternative options are limited, as well as access to French-language education, to meet urgent needs across the province.

Prioritizing shovel-ready projects allows student space needs to be met as soon as possible and addresses increased construction costs over time. The ministry is continuing its efforts to support school boards in delivering projects on time and on budget by reducing red tape through streamlined approval and reporting requirements.

Quick Facts

The Capital Priorities program supports the construction of new schools, permanent additions, renovations, and school purchases.
For the 2024-25 school year, the Ministry of Education has allocated renewal funding of approximately $1.4 billion to school boards to renew and improve schools.
The investment is part of Ontario’s commitment to provide about $16 billion to support new school construction, renewal and improvement over 10 years.
In 2023, school boards were encouraged to standardize the design of new school construction, identify opportunities to work together on joint-use school projects and bring forward shovel-ready proposals as part of the ministry’s plan to help build schools faster.

Quotes

“Our government knows that families in communities across Ontario need schools built faster, so that students can learn close to home. That’s exactly what we are delivering with this historic investment. Through our Plan to Build, we continue to deliver on the most ambitious infrastructure plan in Ontario’s history, building the highways, transit, hospitals, high‐speed internet, housing‐enabling infrastructure and schools our growing province needs.”

– Peter Bethlenfalvy
Minister of Finance

“The additional investment of $1.3 billion from the government for 30 new schools and 15 new school additions is fantastic news for students, staff and families across the province. Our directors and staff look forward to working collaboratively with the ministry to ensure that projects are ready for students as quickly as possible and within budget. These new learning spaces will enhance student learning and students’ academic achievement while preparing them for jobs of the future.”

– Laura Elliott
Executive Director, Council of Ontario Directors of Education

“We welcome the government’s commitment to building new schools in communities across our province. This investment will give many families greater access to modern learning environments that provide students with the best opportunity to thrive and succeed.”

– Kathleen Woodcock
President, Ontario Public School Boards’ Association

“The Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association welcomes the government’s investment of $1.3 billion for the construction of new schools and additions to ensure students across this province have safe and healthy environments in which to learn and grow. We are especially pleased that the government has responded to our recommendations for a more streamlined capital funding process that can better control project costs and support timelier construction of schools to meet urgent needs.”

– Michael Bellmore
President of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association

“We thank the government for selecting these investments in our French-language Catholic school boards. These projects will make it possible to offer more and better services to students and families in our communities.”

– Robert Demers
Chair, Association franco-ontarienne des conseils scolaires catholiques

“As the association representing French-language public school boards—the education system with the fastest-growing enrolment and leading EQAO results in Ontario—ACÉPO is pleased to see the government investing in much-needed school infrastructure to address the critical needs of French-language public schools across the province. We are committed to working with the government to ensure these investments provide equitable access to high-quality education, meet the needs of our ever-growing communities and reflect the priorities of French-language education in Ontario.”

– Denis Labelle
Chair, Association des conseils scolaires des écoles publiques de l’Ontario

Ontario Making Historic $1.3 Billion Investment to Build and Expand More Schools

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