7 | durhamregion.com | This Week | Thursday, September 22, 2022 | Call us at (905) 655-9954 www.hard-co.com 4900 Thickson Road N.,Whitby MANY JOBS. WE HAVE SOLUTIONS. Cross more off your landscaping to-do list with Hard-Co Sand & Gravel Landscape Supplies. Whether it's as simple as soil, compost, or mulch top ups for your garden projects-we've got it. Sand, aggregate, decorative and natural cut stone as well as interlock products to finish off those landscape projects before the season changes, we're here to help. Family Owned And Operated Since 1953Family Owned And Operated Since 1953 733 KINGSTON RD. E. AJAX MON-WED/SAT: 9AM-6pM, THURS/FRI: 9AM-7pM SUN AND HOlIDAyS: 10AM-5pM WHIlE QUANTITIES lAST @macmillanorchards1953 FRESH-LOCAL-FABULOUS Order Fresh, Free Range, Local Turkeys Now! THE SILVER LINING TO SUMMER'S END! THE FINEST SIRLOIN MEAT BALLS! FULLY COOKED 907gm/60 pieces SAVE $6.00 ONLY$9.99 2022-23. The average provincial per-pupil funding amount is about $13,059 for 2022-23, an increase of $339 or 2.7 per cent from 2021-22. Individual school board budgets vary in size, depending on enrollment. For example, the Toronto District School Board's total 2022-23 budget is $3.4 billion, but the Near North District School Board's budget is $168.3 million. HOW ARE SCHOOL BOARDS FUNDED? Revenue comes from property taxes, which make up about 30 per cent, and provincial grants, which make up the other 70 per cent. Individual school boards previously had more control over funding -- but since 1998, the province has had full control of education revenue that comes from property taxes. Ontario school boards are funded through a formula called Grants for Student Needs or GSN. A lot of the funding is based on student enrollment. People for Education outlines this concept, with examples, in its explainer on education funding. "Funding for classroom teachers, education assistants, textbooks and learning materials, classroom supplies, technology, library and guidance services, and (more) is allocated on a per pupil basis -- e.g. for every 763 elementary students, the province provides funding for one teacher-librarian." Other factors that impact the funding allocated to boards include: the percentage special education students with high needs; the number of students who speak English or French as their second language; and the unique geographical needs of school boards. Every spring, the Ministry of Education makes announcements about education funding for the upcoming school year, including changes to the amounts school boards will receive. Some funding is "enveloped," which means school boards can only spend it on what is designated for -- like funds earmarked for special education. "The ministry recognizes that conditions vary widely across Ontario and the funding formula cannot take every situation into account. This is why local school boards have flexibility in how they use funding," reads an excerpt from the province's guide to education funding. School boards are required to have balanced budgets and meet class size targets set by the province. School boards are also able to raise funds on their own, for example by renting out school space. HOW DO THE GRANTS WORK? The GSN funding has three main parts: foundation and special purpose grants and capital funding. Foundation grants include the Pupil Foundation Grant (PFG) and the School Foundation Grant -- these cover basic education costs. The PFG is a per-student amount that funds things like classroom teachers and educational assistants. The School Foundation Grant pays for school office supplies and school administration staff including principals, vice-principals and office staff. Special purpose grants support the unique needs individual school boards have for things like special education, Indigenous education and student transportation. Capital funding covers constructing new schools as well as repairing and renovating existing schools. WHAT DECISIONS HAPPEN AT THE LOCAL LEVEL? School boards are stewards of the money the province gives them. Individual boards make decisions about distributing funding for teachers based on factors like the numbers of students enrolled. Boards also decide how many principals and other staff each school has. Principals get a budget from the board and make decisions about how teachers and staff are distributed and about repairs and maintenance. Trustees approve the board's budget each year and are responsible for it being balanced, meeting the needs of the community and supporting the board's strategic plan. NEWS Continued from page 3 'FUNDING FOR CLASSROOM TEACHERS, EDUCATION ASSISTANTS, TEXTBOOKS AND (MORE) IS ALLOCATED ON A PER PUPIL BASIS' SCAN THE CODE to read more Durham news online.