City must commit to funding school pools
Since 2003, the City of Toronto and the Toronto District School Board have worked together to operate a number of school pools across Toronto. As part of the current pools agreement, the city funds the operation of 29 (originally 33 in 2012) school pools and is given exclusive use of the pools in the evenings, on weekends and during summer break. The city was and continues to be in the best position to fund pools since they have many more revenue sources — taxes, user fees — than the TDSB.
When the TDSB and the city first entered into this agreement, they shared a vision that pools are incredibly valuable community assets that are integral to the health and wellness of students and the broader community.
Fast forward to 2017 and what has changed? Apart from the odd new city pool, which might replace a school pool, the only thing that has changed is the city’s choice to place fiscal restraint ahead of the community benefits.
Last year, the city backed out of funding three pools. This year, they’re proposing to back out of another three. Dive deeper into city documents and you will find there was actually a plan to cut funding for 10 pools in total. In the wake of community outrage and intervention by Toronto’s own Olympic gold medal swimmer Penny Oleksiak, those additional seven pools are now off the table.
In total, the city has cut funding for 11 pools since 2007. Yes, the TDSB has found the funds to continue operating them for the time being, but we’ve had to do this at the expense of other priorities, such as fixing our schools.
Unlike the city, the TDSB can’t increase taxes and does not have the many, many user fees at the city’s disposal. The TDSB relies on provincial funding, that does not include money for the operation of pools, and can’t continue to pay for this specific group of pools without the city’s help. We couldn’t do it back in 2003 and we certainly can’t do it now.
One day, Toronto Mayor John Tory took the Ontario government to task for downloading child care costs onto the city. The next day, the mayor voted to download the cost of pools onto the TDSB. In the end, however, it’s the same taxpayer that is left to pick up the bill.
Without one single meeting with the TDSB, the mayor and the city’s budget chair claim the TDSB will be able to pick up the costs to keep these pools open. How? I’ve written to the mayor requesting a meeting. It’s time we talked.
If we were able to work out an agreement to fund pools in 2003, then I’m confident we can do it again. If we put our heads together, get our priorities straight about the value of community assets and recognize that there is only one taxpayer, we should be able to find a sustainable solution.
Given that public schools are funded by the Ontario government and the TDSB is the only school board in Canada with such a unique situation in having this volume of pools, we would be wise to invite Queen’s Park to the table. All this could begin with a simple meeting with Mayor Tory, Minister of Education Mitzie Hunter and myself.
Robin Pilkey is the chair of the Toronto District School Board.