PUBLIC EDUCATION: WHY DOES YOUR POSTAL CODE MATTER?

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Here’s something worth considering as we prepare to elect our school board trustees in London.

According to People for Education’s research, Ontario schools in higher-income neighbourhoods raised an average of $10,423 in 2022–23.

Schools in lower-income neighbourhoods raised just $3,757.

Almost three times the difference.

But here’s what concerns me even more: 

Schools in wealthier communities were more likely to fundraise for technology, libraries and arts programming.

Schools in less affluent communities were more likely to fundraise for nutrition programs and field trips.

Think about that.

In one community, fundraising can expand educational opportunity. In another, it may help children access basic necessities and participate in activities their classmates enjoy.

And then there are the teachers.

I regularly hear from educators who purchase food, hygiene products, clothing and classroom supplies with their own money. Sometimes they even help families struggling to make ends meet.

Their generosity is extraordinary. But should our public education system depend on it?

We celebrate the principle that every child deserves an equitable education. Yet the resources available to children can still be influenced by neighbourhood wealth, charitable donations and the personal generosity of educators.

This raises important questions for anyone seeking election as a school board trustee:

  • How does your board identify and measure inequities between schools?
  • How are resources allocated to address those differences?
  • Should essential educational opportunities depend on fundraising?
  • What can trustees do to ensure that students’ needs are met, regardless of family income or postal code?

School trustees cannot solve poverty or determine provincial education funding on their own. But they do have important responsibilities for oversight, local priorities and public accountability.

Education is one of our greatest public investments. Equity should be something we can demonstrate, not simply something we promise.

I’m exploring these questions in my London School Trustee Election Primer.

Sources: People for Education, Inequities Persist (2023) and The Education Promise and Critical Resources in Canadian Schools (2026).

#LondonOntario #SchoolTrustees #PublicEducation #EducationEquity #OntarioEducation

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