Public education strives to be the cornerstone of a democratic society. It allows all students to have access to quality education, a variety of opportunities and future pathways.
As a large publicly funded organization which serves approximately 65,000 students in 123 schools in the Region of Waterloo, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) works hard to make the budgeting process transparent and accessible to families and community members each year.
The annual WRDSB budget is developed in consultation with staff and the Board of Trustees. The budget must follow the funding regulations set out in the Ministry of Education’s Core Education Funding, in compliance with the Education Act.
The WRDSB’s budget is more than just numbers – it represents staff and facilities that support the academic success and well-being of our students each day.
Commitment to Transparency and Accountability
We remain committed to prioritizing spending in areas that support student achievement and well-being. To remain transparent and accountable to the students, families, parents and caregivers we serve, we provide updates on our work through the Board Improvement and Equity Plan, the Human Rights Annual Report and the WRDSB Annual Report.
Budget Process
To further support transparency and accountability, we will be sharing a breakdown of the 2025-26 budget to help families, caregivers and community members better understand our expenses, sources of revenue and provincial funding.
Investing to Achieve Our Operational Goals
The 2025-26 budget prioritizes investments in key areas, including early literacy, mathematics, classroom safety, and mental health.
Targeted investments of $1.5M will be made to support the implementation of the Math Achievement Action Plan, including school-based staff and support for educator training, digital math tools and resources.
The WRDSB is committed to ensuring students are reading at grade level by the end of Grade 2. In support of that goal, targeted investments of $2.9M will be made to support the WRDSB’s Structured Literacy Multi-Year Plan. The funding will support school staff to build their capacity, and educators working directly with students to leverage high yield instructional strategies to improve their literacy.
We want to ensure that we are continuing to prioritize the long-term financial stability of the WRDSB, while remaining transparent and accountable for how we support student achievement and well-being. This approach ensures stability while enabling impactful, system-level improvements aligned with the WRDSB’s multi-year strategic objectives.
Download a copy of the 2025-2026 WRDSB Budget Summary.
By the Numbers (2025-26)
Total students – 64,555
Total number of employees – 11,000*
Extended Day Enrolment – 2,694 FTE*
Total number of schools – 123
Total Budget – $966,250,766
Operating Budget – $863,954,139
Capital Budget – $89,519,294
*Based on estimates
Budget Breakdown
$859.9 M Core Education Funding + $5.5 M Responsive Education Programs Funding + $106.4MOther Revenue Sources (Grants, Investments, School Generated Funds etc.) – Operating Expenses $958.6 M
– Public Sector Accounting Adjustments** $7.6 M = Balanced Budget
Revenues
Core Education Funding – $859.9 M
Responsive Education Programs Funding – $5.5 M
Other Revenue Sources
- Extended Day Program Revenue – $17.3 M
- School Generated Funds – $13.5 M
- Miscellaneous- $41.7 M
Total – $966.3 M
Expenditures
Classroom Instruction (Salaries, Supplies & Services, Equipment) – $680.5 M
School Administration (Salaries (P, VP, Secretaries), Supplies & Services) – $63.7 M
Central Administration (Trustees, Central Administration and Support Services Staff) – $20.6 M
School Operations (Salaries, Supplies & Services, Contracts & Utilities) – $75.9 M
Facilities (Operating – School Renewal and Facility Rentals) – $53.7 M
Continuing Education (Summer School, Languages, Supplies and Services) – $2.7 M
Student Transportation – $28.1 M
Other (Extended Day Program, School Generated Funds, Labour Provision) – $33.4 M
Total – $958.6 M
Targeted Priorities
Math Achievement Action Plan
Structured Literacy Multi-Year Plan
** Public Sector Accounting Standards allow public institutions to make adjustments to revenue and expenditures which are not related to regular operating expenditure to determine a budget deficit or surplus.
2025-26 Budget Timelines
- January – April 2025 – Preliminary work on 2025-26 budget begins
- May 5, 2025 – Trustee Budget Seminar
- May 23, 2025 – Core Education Funding Released by the Ministry of Education
- June 11, 2025 – Special Budget Meeting
- June 23, 2025 – Budget Approval
- December 2025 – Presentation of Revised budget
- Winter 2025/Spring 2026 – Interim Financial Report and Forecast Updates
Visit the Board Meeting website for the Meeting Agendas and Minutes, as well as the link to join the Live Stream.
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Budget
The WRDSB receives funding through the Core Education Funding and Responsive Education Programs funding from the Government of Ontario. This is based on the average daily enrollment of students to support costs. Most of our funding is from provincial grants. The WRDSB also acquires revenue from fees it collects from International Students, through its Extended Day Programs, and School Generated Funds (school trips, fundraising etc.). As a growing board, our enrollment has increased by almost 1,500 students since 2017-18.
The Ontario government directs how most of the WRDSB’s funding can be spent. The majority of WRDSB funding is spent on instructional costs, including salaries, benefits (which are largely determined by collective agreements), supplies and services to support student learning. Additional costs for things like student transportation, building maintenance and improvements, and administration are also supported through provincial funding. In alignment with our Strategic Plan, the WRDSB prioritizes spending in areas that support student achievement and well-being.
The Education Act requires that school boards approve a balanced budget, unless the deficit can be covered by accumulated surplus (reserves) from the prior year and is less than 1% of operating revenue from the Ministry of Education. Otherwise, the board must obtain approval of the Minister before final approval of the budget. A detailed plan must be provided to the provincial government outlining how the deficit will be eliminated.
WRDSB Board of Trustees must approve the final budget by the end of June each year.
The budget covers a fiscal year from September 1 until August 31. WRDSB staff provide interim financial reports and forecast updates throughout the year to the Board of Trustees.
If you have information that you would like the WRDSB to consider during its budgeting process, you are encouraged to contact your Trustee. Board Meetings and Committee of the Whole Meetings are open to the public and are recorded and available for viewing on the YouTube live stream.
Tags: asked · breakdown · budget · expenditure · expenses · faq · finance · frequently · funding · numbers · questions · revenue
