OCDSB approves 2026–27 budget with $3.5-million deficit despite cost-cutting

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has approved its 2026–27 operating budget, which still projects a $3.5-million deficit even after aggressive cost-cutting measures.

The board reduced administration costs by 11 percent, including a 16 percent reduction in spending on directors and supervisory officers. Those cuts helped avoid what would have been an $18.5-million deficit while directing more money toward frontline support. The board added 21.5 new educational assistants—13.5 dedicated to students with increasingly complex needs and eight supporting Indigenous students—and budgeted $6.2 million annually for Indigenous education.

Declining enrolment continues to reduce provincial funding, the board says, making deficit spending unavoidable despite the savings. The budget was approved by provincial supervisor Bob Plamondon, who replaced the board's elected trustees in June 2025 after the province cited concerns about the OCDSB's financial management. The board declined to make Plamondon available for interview.

The $88.5-million capital plan includes opening Brian Mulroney Elementary School this fall, continued work toward a new secondary school in Barrhaven's Half Moon Bay community, and projects focused on accessibility, water quality, and air conditioning in schools.

Elected trustee Donna Blackburn supports adding educational assistants but says the increase falls far short. "We have 150 sites, so adding 21 EAs is nowhere near enough," she said. Blackburn also raised concerns about reductions to school office staff, saying offices are essential to day-to-day operations.