Modernization Strategy

“Now is the time for bold thinking and creative solutions. Toronto’s public school buildings present many opportunities for a collaborative and integrated future that builds on their great past and creates learning spaces where students thrive, and communities are at the center of their success. This work is underway.”

Alexander Brown, Chair TDSB Board of Trustees

Complex issues often have remarkably straightforward solutions. With over 600 sites and 3600 acres of property valued between 15-20 billion dollars located in the heart of every neighbourhood across the city, TLC will demonstrate the power of leveraging a fraction of those holdings into a billion dollars worth of potential for reinvestment back into the TDSB capital planning budget over the next several years.

Our modernization strategy is a self-financing, data informed plan to extract the considerable economic and social value inherent in this dynamic portfolio, while retaining public ownership of the land to the greatest extent possible.

In 2021-22, TLC’s primary focus will be on non-instructional sites, TDSB’s capital priority replacement school sites and projects that involve collaborative partnerships. Overall, our work in these areas combined with future business planning, will position the TDSB as a progressive leader in the strategic use of its public property portfolio, producing opportunities to address student success and accommodation priorities, while reinvesting in new schools that deliver a strong, fiscally sustainable, world class education.

As an example, an aging and under-utilized non-instructional site could be reimagined and redeveloped with municipal and/or provincial partners to contain community services, affordable housing, senior’s care, a public library and still include a modern and exceptional learning space.

A redeveloped school site doesn’t just have to be a school, it can be an integrated space, or a complete community. By collaborating with public and community partners, we maximize public assets and destinations that serve students as well as the broader public. This is the value of modern thinking.