Farbeit from me to defend the TDSB.... BUT
Farbeit from me to defend the TDSB, which has many failings...BUT.
Let's get some things clear.
1) The TDSB has NO taxation powers of its own. They are 100% funded by the province of Ontario, according to a funding formula.
2) That formula makes no allocation for swimming pools (and never has).
This is a legacy of the pre-amalgamation school boards in Toronto, which raised their own taxes and deemed pools a local priority. Subsequent to amalgamation they have had to raid funds earmarked for other purposes (say ESL, or Home Ec. etc.) in order to fund the pools.
3) The TDSB is funded per student with a set allocation of square footage. This allocation is standard province-wide. However, with a disproportionate number of heritage buildings, many of which were set-up in ways that are less space-effecient that those of 'modern' schools, they automatically have more sqare foot per person to heat, clean, etc. than other prov. boards. However, the recieve no extra money.
4) Every board in the province is short-changed for maintenance dollars and for utilities. Literally the board is shorted milliions each year for paying its electric bill, these dollars come directly out of other program spending, from teachers, to janitors to capital spending. The province provides more than $1.00 per square foot less to schools for cleaning than it does to maintain Queen's Park! (Think of the squarefootage than over 500 schools adds up to)
5) The province won't pay for pools, because the TDSB is only board in Ontario that has ANY. Its seen as a political problem to fund pools in Toronto, when no one anywhere else has any. (though most rural students get bussed, which certainly isn't true in T.O....but never mind)
ALL THAT SAID....
Yes the TDSB does have a few more administrators than it should. Yes, the TDSB should close some excess schools..... THOUGH, be my guest at deciding which historic building to demolish; and which community should lose its school. Especially in a fast-growing city, where many currenly under-utilised schools will likely be full again in 10 years time.
The TDSB's bureaucracy though is a direct result of amalgamation. As any large company can tell you, over a certain size and the ratio of managers to workers goes up. That's just the way. Ask Bell, Ask Rogers, etc.
However, breaking up the TDSB is a whole other can of worms, when the union contracts and programs have only just now been harmonized, some 10 years after amalgamation.
******
For what its worth.
My take on the answer:
1) The province funds swimming lessons for every elementary student across Ontario, and competive swimming for high school students.
In most parts of Ontario this cost includes rental of swimming facilities since outside Toronto no boards have their own pools.
In Toronto, the funds for pool-time rental could be reinvested in pool-operation by the TDSB.
This probably wouldn't save all the pools, but at least a couple dozen.
Plus, make better allowances for heritage buildings, and growing communities when funding square footage. This would really ease the burden on the TDSB.
Once that's done however; cap the % of budget that goes to administration; and cap the variances between the funding formula and what actually goes to each programming area; so that waste can be curtailed too.
That's just my 2 cents though, for what its worth.
