(Canada) Thames Valley: SPED facing $6.5M (US) deficit

July 7, 2026, Thames Valley's deficit puts special education, class sizes at risk | London Free Press

A Thames Valley District school board trustee is raising concerns about the board’s growing budget deficit and its potential impact on class sizes, school programs and special education students.

The school board’s deficit is projected to more than double this year to $22.1 million [$16M] from $10.6 million [$7.5M] last year. The union representing secondary school teachers recently blamed chronic provincial underfunding. . . .

School board trustees no longer have authority over education decisions after the board was placed under provincial supervision following an audit prompted by a controversial executive retreat.

The fallout from that is elected officials could not raise concerns about the budget’s impact on classrooms, especially in the area of special education, which faces a $9.2-million [$6.5M US] funding shortfall.