School boards can apply for funding for construction projects from the Ministry of Education
through the Capital Priorities program. This program provides school boards with an opportunity to identify their
most urgent student accommodation needs and submit business cases for priority projects.
Business cases describe the need for school additions, school replacements or deep retrofits and
provide the necessary rationale. Capital Priority projects are ranked based on a priority sequence (e.g.
accommodation growth, consolidating two or more schools into one new facility) that aligns with the criteria
outlined by the Ministry of Education.
Not all of the capital projects submitted actually receive funding approval. The Ministry
reviews the business cases submitted by all school boards and allocates funds to the projects it considers
priorities. Historically, the TDSB has received approval for three to six capital projects in as a result of the
Capital Priorities process.
List of the Top 10 Capital Priority Projects for 2020-21
Business cases were prepared for the ten projects identified below and were submitted to the
Ministry of Education for capital funding consideration under the Capital Priorities grant program in September
2019.
In July 2020,
the Ministry announced that two of the 10 projects submitted by the TDSB under the 2019-20 Capital Priorities Grant
funding program were approved. The two approved projects are:
- Hodgson MS (Priority #1): funding to expand the previously-approved
addition by seven additional classrooms to accommodate the rapid shifts in local demographics and residential
development in the community. The additional funding allocated by the Ministry is $12.45 million.
- McKee Public School (Priority #6): funding to build three additional
classrooms to accommodate the enrolment pressures in the area. The total funding for this project is $1.48
million.
In October 2020, the Board received Ministry approval for another capital project:
- David Lewis PS (Priority #8): funding to build an eight-classroom addition. The total
funding for this project is $5.74 million.
The next opportunity to submit Capital Priority projects for funding approval will be during the
2021 calendar year.
Below is the list of the 10 TDSB Capital Priority projects ranked to align with the criteria
set out by the Ministry of Education and submitted in September 2019 for funding consideration.