After months of deliberation dating back to January, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) has released its new budget for 2026-27.
They say the 2026-27 budget “prioritizes a continuation of strategic investments in literacy, math, classroom safety, and technology.” This budget will cover the fiscal year from Sept. 1 until Aug. 31, 2027.
One of the largest school boards in Canada, WRDSB serves roughly 65,000 students in the region and employs roughly 6,700 staff. This massive scale results in large annual salary expenses for the board, with the “classroom instruction” category reporting $683.1 million in expenditures alone.
A further $98.1 million will go towards “central administration and governance” and “school operations,” also reflecting staff salaries and including other costs such as contracts and utilities. Finally, student transportation accounts for $24.7 million, mostly made up of bussing costs.
Alongside the $969 million in expenses for the new budget, the board reports $957 million in revenues. The majority of board revenues come via the Government of Ontario, with a smaller portion coming from international students, extended day programs, and school fundraising and field trips.
After almost $6 million in Public Sector Accounting Board adjustments, the budget leaves the WRDSB with an almost $7 million deficit for the upcoming year.
The Education Act says school boards are required to approve a balanced budget, unless a deficit is less than 1 per cent of revenues and it can be covered entirely by previous surpluses. However, the board must receive approval from the Ministry of Education, while also submitting a plan to the province explaining how they plan to eliminate the deficit.
Alongside the report, WRDSB say “Like many other school boards across the province, the WRDSB is operating within a difficult fiscal environment.” If further changes need to be made to address this environment, the board will present a revised, updated budget in December 2026.
WRDSB board meetings are open to public attendance and are recorded and posted to YouTube. The board says that if you have information that you would like the WRDSB to consider during future budget deliberations, people are encouraged to contact their trustee.
